Expansion and sustainability at Colombia’s Cartagena Refinery

Colombia

Herman Galán Barrera, president of the Cartagena Refinery, talks to The Energy Year about the keys to the refinery’s operational success and the strategy behind its capacity increases and recent integration of a solar farm. Situated on Colombia's Caribbean coast, the Cartagena Refinery has a processing capacity of 210,000 bpd.

The Cartagena Refinery is among the most modern refineries in Latin America and the producer of the cleanest fuels in Colombia. What are the keys to its operational success?
Since the construction and commissioning of the Cartagena Refinery, we have taken key actions to ensure we have reliable, healthy, clean and safe operations.
Some of our distinguished values are the assurance of the competence and certification of operators, as well as the investment we make to make sure our equipment – in the process units, is as reliable as possible. This we achieve by executing regular maintenance of our plants, according to schedule.
We also make sure we implement best practices in the actual production of clean fuels. This goes hand in hand with the sustained generation of efficiencies, the reduction of expenses and execution of diverse initiatives to optimise our operations.

What details can you give us on the recent increase of the Cartagena Refinery’s capacity and the strategy behind this?
The Cartagena Refinery has established itself as a fundamental pillar in the country’s energy production and has recently boosted its operational capacity to respond to market demands.
In 2022, the interconnection of the refinery’s crude oil plants (the IPCC project) came into operation, expanding the oil processing capacity from 160,000 bpd to a maximum refining capacity of 210,000 bpd. The refinery found an optimal operational level between 200,000-210,000 bop in accordance with finished product demand conditions and market prices.
This increase in crude oil processing generated a higher production of Jet A-1, naphtha and intermediate products. In turn, that allowed for an increase in the load of the coking, hydrocracking, catalytic, alkylation and hydrotreatment units for naphtha and diesel. It is in these plants where gasoline and diesel are produced, with the quality required to comply with Colombian regulations.
This increase reflects a strategy of maximising operational efficiency and sustainability.

How important is the refinery for the country’s energy sovereignty?
We are always seeking to guarantee the country’s energy sovereignty.
Thanks to Cartagena Refinery, the supply of all liquid fuels in the northern part of the country is assured. In addition, the excellent quality of the fuels we produce – together with the increase in the volume of these products with the implementation of the IPCC project – made it possible to increase diesel supply to the centre of the country, reducing the reliance on importing refined products.
Also, at the Ecopetrol level, an excellent-quality “extra gasoline” is being delivered, with sulphur content lower than 15 ppm and octane higher than 95, complying with the requirements of the automotive sector to enable the entry of vehicles with Euro VI technology into the country.
In the particular case of motor gasoline, as of December 2023, better-quality gasoline began to be imported to be mixed with gasoline produced at the Barrancabermeja refinery and thus meet the demand for this product in the country, reducing gasoline imports by 15% to 20%.

Among the fuels the Cartagena Refinery produces on a daily basis, which are the most important and what are their volumes?
According to the refinery load, based on 210,000 bpd of crude oil, the Cartagena Refinery produces approximately 90,000 bpd of diesel of various qualities such as local diesel, marine diesel, export and international diesel; 13,000 bpd of Jet A-1; 34,000 bpd of gasoline of different qualities, including motor and extra gasoline; 10,000 bpd of fuel oil; and 30,000 bpd of virgin naphtha, which is used as a diluent for crude oil and in gasoline blends.

What are the main contracts for the sale and purchase of these products at the national level and what volumes does the refinery export to the international market?
The Cartagena Refinery has a contract with Ecopetrol to ship 150,000 barrels per month of ultra-low-sulphur diesel (ULSD) and 150,000 barrels per month of regular gasoline to alternate ports to be marketed to wholesalers, then volumes of 1.2 million barrels per month of ULSD and 150,000 barrels per month of gasoline to Pozos Colorados in Santa Marta to be then shipped to the Barrancabermeja Refinery.
There is also a contract for 900,000 barrels per month of diluent naphtha to Ecopetrol’s production fields via Pozos Colorados. Only when applicable, 300,000 barrels per month of ULSD are exported.

What are the operational details of the refinery’s new 22.1-MW solar farm? How does it contribute to operational sustainability?
The recently inaugurated solar eco-park at the Cartagena Refinery reinforces Ecopetrol’s commitment to a just energy transition and the development of renewable energy sources in Colombia.
This project consists of more than 40,000 single-facial-technology solar panels, each with a capacity of 550W, as well as 88 inverters, which together will be able to generate 34 GWh of energy per year.
It is planned to be commissioned in two phases: the first of 3.8 MWp in the second half of 2024, and the second of 18.3 MWp in 2025.
Diversifying the energy matrix of the Cartagena Refinery by integrating clean energies with conventional sources of electricity generation implies a 4.3% reduction in self-generated energy with gas, which corresponds to a reduction in annual emissions of at least 21,000 tonnes of CO2 per year.

The Cartagena Refinery also produces industrial gases and products as part of the refining process. What details can you give us on the production of sulphur, propylene, coke, aromatic tar and LPG?
In addition to its capacity to produce increasingly cleaner and higher-quality fuels, the Cartagena Refinery has the capacity to deliver up to 2,750 bpd of LPG. However, production ranges from 1,400 bpd LPG, and the remainder is consolidated with volume from the Barrancabermeja refinery, which is returned from Esenttia, an Ecopetrol Group company.
It also produces 4,000 bpd of refinery-grade propylene and sends it to Esenttia, where a splitter separates the propylene and propane, leaving Esenttia with the propylene and returning the propane to the refinery.
The Cartagena Refinery also produces 3,800 bpd of aromatic tar, of which 1,500 bpd is sent to Cabot and the surplus is exported to international customers.
In addition, around 2,900 tonnes per day of coke are produced and sent to the port of Mamonal via our partner Komsa, which is the one who programs the export process.
Finally, 170 tonnes per day of liquid sulphur are produced for local customers.

How important is the production of these inputs for the Cartagena Refinery in recognition of the growing demand for these products in the internal and external markets?
Petroleum refining allows for the production of higher-value-added products such as liquid fuels and petrochemicals, the latter being the raw material for many types of industries, boosting the economy of the region and the country.
For example, the Cartagena Refinery cluster with Esenttia has maximised margins and production, making it the leading exporter in the Colombian petrochemicals sector.

Tell us about the Cartagena Refinery’s new 22.1-MW solar farm and how it contributes to the company’s sustainable quest.
The recently inaugurated solar park at the Cartagena Refinery reinforces Ecopetrol’s commitment to a just energy transition and the development of renewable energy sources in Colombia.
This project consists of more than 40,000 single-facial-technology solar panels, each with a capacity of 550 W, as well as 88 inverters, which together will be able to generate 34 GWh of energy per year.
Its commissioning has been planned in two phases: the first of 3.8 MWp in the second half of 2024 and the second of 18.3 MWp in 2025.
Diversifying the energy matrix of the Cartagena Refinery by integrating clean energies with conventional sources of electricity generation implies a 4.3% reduction in self-generated energy with gas, which corresponds to a reduction in annual emissions of at least 21,000 tonnes of CO2.

What is the relevance of this project for Ecopetrol, considering that it is the only solar farm built inside a refinery in Latin America and the first solar project to be executed by Ecopetrol?
This project is very relevant for the Ecopetrol Group as it signifies the beginning of the integration of non-conventional renewable energies into the energy matrix of its refineries, which will allow the development of more projects of this type in the near future, based on the lessons learned from the Cartagena Refinery. Today, our refinery has a diversified electricity supply coming from gas generation, solar energy and back-up power from the grid.
In addition, the project enabled the development of skills and the generation of employment for 270 people in the community, particularly benefitting women.

How strong is the Cartagena Refinery’s commitment to green hydrogen production?
In March 2022, the Cartagena Refinery conducted its first green hydrogen pilot, producing 20 kilograms of hydrogen per day. This milestone represents a significant step towards the production of fuels with a lower carbon footprint.
The electrolyser used in this pilot is a proton exchange membrane (PEM) technology with a capacity of 50 kW.
In 2023, a second mobility pilot of similar capacity was inaugurated, highlighting the change in the energy matrix by using hydrogen as a vector.
This pilot has the unique ability to power both light and heavy-duty vehicles, demonstrating a commitment to sustainability and innovation in the energy sector. The investment associated with the electrolyser for the pilot was around USD 500,000.
The production of low-emissions hydrogen reduces greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions at the refinery, improves air quality in the surrounding areas and contributes to a major step towards energy transition and sustainability.

What ambitions does the refinery have in the field of hydrogen?
The “Energy that Transforms” 2040 strategy of the Ecopetrol Group is an ambitious and sustainable vision that seeks to position it as a leader in the production and marketing of low-emissions hydrogen (H2) products.
We want to become a regional and global player in low-emissions H2 products, generating value in diverse applications and reducing the carbon footprint of operations and products.
Several projects are being analysed that focus on low-emissions H2 products – such as methanol, E-fuels – synthetic fuels produced from hydrogen – and carbon dioxide, which can be used in conventional vehicles without modification, biofuels (SAF [sustainable aviation fuel] and HVO [hydrotreated vegetable oil]), and green ammonia. In this context, the Cartagena Refinery will play a leading role due to its privileged location for the export of these products.
This positions the Ecopetrol Group as a leader in innovation and sustainability.
The pilots we have rolled out have allowed us to obtain valuable information on the behaviour of these new technologies in a refinery-based environment and to learn valuable lessons from the operation and maintenance of these technologies in order to scale them up.

What are the Cartagena Refinery’s short- and medium-term plans?
The Cartagena Refinery is one of the most modern refineries in Latin America. Its processing capacity of 210,000 bpd, through its 35 processing units, has made it a benchmark in Latin America with a significant impact on the local community.
The refinery supplies the demand of the Colombian Caribbean region, the national market and the international market with cutting-edge technology and strict safety and environmental-care standards. Its feedstock is made up of a high percentage of domestically produced heavy crudes, which are also in the near future complemented by international crudes which we transform into clean fuels and petrochemicals with high added value.
Production at the Cartagena Refinery contains less than 12 ppm sulphur in diesel, and less than 45 ppm sulphur in gasoline.
This production is mainly destined to supply the nation, especially the high demand for fuels in the north of the country.
In terms of our operational plans, in the short term, we aim to maintain a production level of 200,000 bpd of fuels in the coming years, to execute our pilot test to produce renewable jet fuel which we completed in 2024, and to structure this project for continuous production of renewable jet fuel.
In the medium term, we have planned a water neutrality strategy by 2045 with three fundamental pillars: first, efficient water management in operations, recirculation and reuse of discharges as well as the incorporation of alternative water sources; second, the implementation of energy efficiency initiatives that represent 30% of the refinery’s greenhouse gas reduction target by 2030; and third, the development of an industrial-scale pilot for the production of green hydrogen.
Regarding our financial plans, the Cartagena Refinery, aligned with the Ecopetrol Group’s strategy, contemplates investments focused on guaranteeing the country’s energy sovereignty and, in turn, a transition towards cleaner fuels, identifying opportunities that will allow it to focus on several strategic pillars.
The first is sustainability of the traditional business. The focus of investments in the short term will be on maximising refinery loads by increasing our operational availability, which translates into higher profitability and competitiveness of the traditional business.
The second pillar is energy diversification and transition. The company is contemplating investments in energy diversification and transition projects, including possible developments in petrochemicals and low-emission hydrogen, as well as the entry of new biofuels projects such as SAF and HVO.
The third pillar is our sustainability principle, SosTECnibilidad. In line with this pillar, projects have been identified to leverage energy efficiency with a strategy that allows us to meet the goals set by the Group and increase returns for the company. These investments are reflected in projects such as CCUS, desalination and the development of renewable energies.

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