“Expur now holds 70% of Romania’s and Bulgaria’s biodiesel market. In terms of vegetal oil, it holds around 42% of Romania’s market and 55% of retailers’ private label market,” stated Bernard Sargis, the president of Expur.
Expur, controlled by French group Sofiproteol, last year started disassembling Cargill plant of Podari and moving the equipment to its production unit of Slobozia.
The company ended 2013 with revenue of EUR254 million.
2013 was a mixed year for Expur as the first half was viewed as a challenging one by the French group, while the second half was seen as satisfying.
Biodiesel output went beyond the 100,000 ton mark for the first time in 2013 amid the introduction of an EU rule restricting the dumping price policy for freight coming from outside the EU.
According to Expur’s annual report, oil output rose by 24% last year on the purchase of Untdelemn de la Bunica and Olpo brands from Cargill.
The deal was valued at EUR10 million, but the value was not officially confirmed. Cargill Oils reported net profit of EUR6 million in 2013.
Expur in 2013 started investments in a 9,000 ton silo in Alexandria, Slobozia, with this as the only major investment in storage capacities the company has operated in recent years.
Instead, the French group decided to install a system of “silo bags”, which are 20 times cheaper compared with raising a metallic silo from scratch.
Raw material is vital in any vegetal oil processing business as this cost element covers 80% of the total. Expur is exposed on the raw material market as the French group can store 160,000 tons of oleaginous seeds in silos and another 50,000 tons in industrial bags. The storage capacity covers a little less than half the volumes processed in a year at Slobozia plant.
Expur’s Romanian operations have become strategic for French group Sofiproteol considering the area of the Black Sea, northern Africa and Asia are viewed as growth engines in the company’s growth plan until 2018.
Romania is a strategic point also as it is the EU’s largest producer of sunflower and a top ten player on the rapeseed market.
(English version by Catalina Apostoiu)