The liquidator of the company owning the refinery says that in fact the unit’s strength is its high output of bitumen, a product used in road construction, which now Romania 95% imports.
“There must be a buyer in this world. We won’t give up until we find it,” says Ioan Isai, associate coordinator at Euroconsult SPRL, the liquidator of Ecodiesel company, the owner of Crisana refinery.
The unit started operating in 1969, having now a production capacity of 460,000 tons annually. By comparison, Romania’s largest refinery, Petromidia, controlled by KMG International, the former Rompetrol, has a capacity of 5 million tons per annum.
In 2008, the refinery was bought by a Romanian and Italian held company, Ecodiesel, for EUR15 million. In 2010, the unit resumed production, but in 2012 installations are halted. In June 2014 Ecodiesel went bankrupt and procedures for the sale of Suplacu de Barcau installations are initiated.
“We already have 10 interested investors from Romania and abroad,” said Isai, without giving any names or minimum price.
According to him, several investments have been operated on the platform and installations are now under conservation.
(English version by Catalina Apostoiu)