Alina Oprea • 27 July, 2023 at 2:30 PM
OMV Petrom contributes to the development of the regional network of ultra-fast recharging for electric cars as part of a project that aims to install more than 400 points along the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T). The total investment is estimated at around €40 million for more than 400 recharging points, according to the largest integrated energy company in South-East Europe. The recharging points will be installed in Romania (328), Slovakia (52), and Hungary (28) until November 2025. The group of companies formed by OMV Petrom Marketing (OPM), OMV Hungária Ásványolj Kft/ OMV Hungária Kft. (OMV HU) and OMV Slovensko s.r.o (OMV SK) has received approval for a European funding contract with the European Executive Agency for Climate, Infrastructure and the Environment (CINEA) for the project "Accelerate the Central and East European Ultra-Fast Charging", with the support of the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Investments and European Projects.
The financing contract was signed by CINEA and OPM, as coordinators of the application, each of the companies implementing the project in their respective countries.
The total investment in this project is estimated at approximately €40 million, of which, approximately €15 million are provided from European funds, through the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), and almost €5 million of the total amount represent bank credit from the Romanian Commercial Bank, the rest of the financing being provided from own sources.
"Through the 2030 Strategy, we have undertaken to actively contribute to the energy transition, in Romania and in the region. We have started to develop solutions with low emissions and zero carbon, for which we propose to allocate about 35% of the estimated investments until 2030 of about €11 billion. The development of these solutions opens opportunities for economic growth in Romania and in the region, by attracting European funds", says Christina Verchere, CEO of OMV Petrom.
The project aims to install more than 400 ultra-fast recharging points, each with an installed power of 150 kW, by the end of 2025. Of these, 328 will be installed in 80 locations in Romania, 52 recharging points will be installed in 11 locations in Slovakia, and 28 points will be installed in 7 locations in Hungary. All stations will allow ultra-fast recharging of electric cars, i.e. charging in approximately 10- 15 minutes, depending on the capacity of the vehicles, for an operating range of 200 km.
"We are supporting our customers in the process of decarbonizing the transportation and we want to offer them as many mobility options as possible, including by developing the necessary infrastructure for alternative mobility. In the last three years, we have installed recharging points largely through partnerships. Today, we have taken an important step in the development of our own network of electric recharging stations thus contributing to connecting Eastern Europe through the TEN-T corridor”, says Radu Căprău, member of the OMV Petrom Executive Board, responsible for the Refining and Marketing activity.
“This project will further support the transition towards decarbonized mobility across Europe. It will benefit citizens and economic operators providing for a seamless and interconnected network for electric vehicles. In doing so, it will contribute to achieving European Green Deal objectives”, says Richard Ferrer, Head of Alternative Fuels at the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA).
At the end of 2022, OMV Petrom announced that will become the first energy company in the region with a network of power stations in four countries in South-East Europe, developed together with partners in the electric mobility sector. At the end of June, OMV Petrom had 150 recharging points in Petrom and OMV-branded filling stations in Romania and in the region.