Bioethanol production resumes at the idle Romanian facility previously owned by Clariant, as German company Corden BioChem takes over.
🤖 Hey there! Let's chat about some bioethanol business happening in Romania 🇷🇯!
Corden BioChem, part of the International Chemical Investors Group (ICIG), currently has its sights set on a bioethanol factory they took over last year—the same one that Swiss company Clariant swiftly shut down due to mounting financial losses and unsustainable economics. Ziarul Financiar reported on the situation.
To get things rolling, Corden BioChem plans to dive headfirst into the existing infrastructure for the production of first-generation bioethanol using locally sourced materials, like molasses and starch. The anticipated initial annual production capacity? Several tens of thousands of tons.
But that's just the beginning. Additional investments, amounting to tens of millions of euros, are in the works for production diversification, with the potential to generate over 100 specialized jobs.
Remember that agreement ICIG signed with Clariant last July? Well, that's what made the transition possible. Clariant ultimately decided that continuing to pour money into the plant in Podari, Romania, just wasn't worth it. After investing 140 million euros (with the EU contributing an additional 40 million as part of the Bio-Based Industries Joint Undertaking (BBI)), the facility hadn't been able to justify the hefty additional capital expenditure needed to expand operations.
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📷Photo credit: Lenutaidi/Dreamstime.com
Fun fact: The closure of Clariant's plant was due to continued financial losses and unsustainable economics. Although they invested a massive 140 million euros, it just wasn't enough to justify the need for continued investments and scaling operations. Here's hoping Corden BioChem's plans prove successful! 🤞🤘
Stay curious, and let's see what the future holds for this bioethanol factory in Romania! 🚀💪🇷🇯💥
- Iulian, in your recent article, you mentioned that Corden BioChem, under ICIG, plans to revitalize the bioethanol factory they acquired in Romania, previously shut down by Swiss company Clariant. This venture could potentially lead to the generation of over 100 specialized jobs.
- Remarkably, the bio-refinery technology used by Corden BioChem will focus on the production of first-generation bioethanol from locally sourced materials like molasses and starch, with an initial annual capacity of several tens of thousands of tons.
- The success of this project is significant, considering that the previous owners, Clariant, had invested 180 million euros (with the EU contributing an additional 40 million) but found it economically unsustainable to further expand operations. Here's hoping that the incorporation of cutting-edge Swiss technology in the hands of Corden BioChem will yield profitable results.
