Downstream: The Rijeka Refinery Upgrade Project
One of MOL Group’s largest investments, the project’s key objectives are to improve efficiency and reduce diesel imports. Representing a nearly EUR 700 million investment, it is the largest single project in INA’s history with more than half of the works being carried out by Croatian companies.
Thanks to this project started in 2020, and commissioned in March 2026, the Rijeka Refinery complex is being transformed into one of the most technologically advanced facilities in the region, featuring higher energy efficiency, improved crude utilization, and a greater share of high-value products.
It encompasses the construction of the delayed coker unit (DCU), modernization of existing facilities, a new port, silos, a closed coke transport system, and a new transformer station — the largest in the country — which ensures reliable power supply for the new complex.
The new delayed coker unit will increase crude‑oil processing up to 4 million tons per year from 2027, and diesel production by up to 30% annually — further strengthening the energy security of Croatia and key markets in the region.
More than 10,000 tonnes of steel were installed in the construction of the new units - equivalent to nearly one and a half Eiffel Tower structures.
Approximately 60,000 cubic meters of concrete were used, sufficient to build a mid-sized football stadium.
The Rijeka Refinery upgrade project is part of a long-term investment cycle in which INA and MOL Group have invested more than EUR 1 billion over the past decade in the modernization of refining and logistics infrastructure.
Renewable Green Hydrogen project in Rijeka
MOL Group’s partnership has helped INA accelerate its green transition — enabling the company to better support both national and European energy and climate goals. In 2024, contracts worth more than EUR 33 million were signed for a green‑hydrogen plant at the Rijeka refinery — the first commercial green‑hydrogen facility in Croatia.
The project includes the construction of a 10 MW electrolyser, an 11 MW solar power plant, and a distribution facility, with an annual capacity of around 1,500 tons of green hydrogen.
The first commercial green hydrogen plant in Croatia is supported by non-refundable grants of up to EUR 15 million from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan.
Exploration and production
In the Upstream business, INA has enhanced its international portfolio — most recently in Egypt, where new oil and gas discoveries were made in 2023.
With MOL Group’s strategic cooperation and support, INA has strengthened its domestic exploration and production activities. A notable example is the cross‑border gas‑field development project in Somogy County, Hungary — a true demonstration of successful collaboration between the two companies.
Strengthened domestic Exploration and Production throughout the years included the development of Adriatic gas fields and the acquisition of ENI’s stake in the Northern Adriatic and Marica gas fields in 2018, making INA 100% owner and, for the first time, a sole offshore operator on Croatian fields. Besides, development of the Međimurje gas fields with production from 2016 and new discoveries: domestic onshore exploration blocks from 2016; and offshore drilling campaigns as a sole operator.
In the Adriatic production region, the focus is on a drilling campaign that includes two wells on the IKA-A platform, where CROSCO’s drilling platform Labin is engaged. During 2026, the drilling of five additional wells is planned. In cooperation with Energean, a new production platform will also be constructed, the Irena-3 well will be drilled, and a nine-kilometre-long connecting gas pipeline will be built.
Retail Network Expansion
Over the past twenty years, INA has significantly expanded its retail network. In the 2000s, it began with extending operations in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Slovenia, while also establishing partnership-based control of Energopetrol.
The modernization of INA’s Croatian retail network was accelerated and between 2019 and 2023, INA continued its regional expansion via acquisitions in Montenegro and the acquisition of the OMV Slovenia network in partnership with MOL via a MOL-INA joint venture. The further expansion led to more than 500 service stations operated by INA in the region.
The company has introduced MOL Group’s Fresh Corner gastro concept by opening the first Fresh Corner in Croatia in 2015, transforming its retail offering from traditional fuel sales into a modern convenience‑retail experience.
In 2025, more than 8.5 million cups of coffee and a total of 7.8 million hot dogs were sold at INA retail locations in Croatia. Fresh Corner has also strengthened its position as the largest “coffee-on-the-go” chains in Croatia.
