September 27 (SeeNews) - Romanian fertiliser producer Azomures said that its Ammonia III facility will resume production at 50% of capacity from October, following the company's recent signing of natural gas purchase contracts.
The plant has a total production capacity of 1.6 million tonnes annually, of which 80-85% are destined for the Romanian agricultural market, the company said in a social media post last week.
Josh Zacharis, CEO of Azomures, stated that the company's intention is to maintain ammonia production (with gas as the primary raw material) and continue operating the NPK, Ammonium Nitrate, and CAN plants as long as conditions allow. He also highlighted the ongoing historical volatility in both gas and fertiliser markets, which adds to the uncertainty surrounding the company's future plans.
Azomures shut down production in mid-December 2021 due to the high energy prices and resumed it in April 2022, then suspended it again in June. In September 2022, the company announced it was delegating tasks to other companies or placing over 200 employees on technical unemployment.
Part of Swiss agribusiness group Ameropa since 2011, Azomures' industrial platform spreads on an area of 100 hectares in the city of Targu Mures. The company employed 960 at the end of 2022, according to the latest data available on the finance ministry's website.