Austria's 193,700 b/d Schwechat refinery has fully restarted operations after repairs and tests at the plant were successfully completed, operator OMV said today.
Schwechat has been partially offline since 3 June because of a mechanical incident in a crude distillation unit (CDU). After repairs were completed, water pressure tests on the CDU's main column wrapped up at the end of September and commissioning was carried out gradually.
"Following the successful maximisation of throughput in all downstream units, the Schwechat refinery is now running at full capacity again," OMV said.
Schwechat ran at 20pc capacity during the repairs after OMV "maximised" the capacity of a smaller CDU that remained available after the incident. The alternative supply system based on the smaller CDU and product imports by train, barge and truck "will be maintained as an additional source of supply for as long as necessary", OMV said, adding that this will allow reliable supply to the markets and will replenish stocks used during the partial shutdown "more quickly".
Austria released 112,000t (836,000 bl) of diesel and 56,000t (473,000 bl) of gasoline from its road fuel reserves in early June to ensure sufficient supply during the repairs. Neighbouring Hungary, where OMV controls 15pc of the fuel retail market, offered to sell 29mn litres of diesel and 18mn l of 95 Ron gasoline from its reserves in mid-June, with priority access given to OMV's local subsidiary.
