Brazil's Petrobras Signs Contract to Construct Train 2 at Abreu Lima Refinery

Written by Amir Richani for Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Petrobras (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) is moving forward with the upgrade and modernization of the Abreu e Lima refinery (RNEST) as part of its strategic plan.

Petrobras, the state energy company, signed contracts with Consag Engendharia S.A to complete construction of Train 2 at the RNEST refinery, which has a capacity of 130,000 barrels of oil per day (BBL/d).

The contract, worth 4.9 billion reais (about US$889 million), includes the construction of the delayed coking unit (UCR), Diesel Hydrotreating Unit S10 (UHDT-D) and the atmospheric distillation unit (UDA).

The UCR will be able to process 75,000 BBL/d, while the UHDT-D is expected to have a capacity of 82,000 BBL/d.

With the construction of these units, the new Train 2 will have a throughput of 130,000 BBL/d, allowing RNEST to reach a total capacity of 230,000 BBL/d. Train 2 is expected to be online by 2029, according to Petrobras.

"The contracts for the resumption of construction work on the refinery's Train 2 demonstrate the company's commitment to the country's development, representing the expansion of our refining capacity and enabling the increase in the production of derivatives to meet the demands of society and the market," said Magda Chambriard, chief executive officer of Petrobras.

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In March, Petrobras completed the modernization of RNEST's Train 1, while in December, the company made the SNOX unit operational, aimed at reducing sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxide emissions.

Besides the construction of Train 2 and upgrades at RNEST, Petrobras expects to boost its processing capacity from 1.8 million BBL/d in 2025 to 2.1 million BBL/d in 2029 by also revamping units across its other refineries as part of its strategic plan.

Overall, the company expects to invest US$3.8 billion in the next five years to increase the capacity and enhance its downstream sector.

Under the previous government, Petrobras launched a downstream divestment campaign aimed at raising funds and reducing its refining assets. However, the administration of Lula Inácio da Silva has since halted the privatization efforts and placed Petrobras and its downstream segment at the heart of its national energy policy.

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