Azomureş fertilizer plant, one of the largest gas consumers in Romania, wants to make the next year a 220 million euro investment required to reduce emissions under environmental regulations that will come into force in 2016 and to increase the capacity of production, writes Mediafax.

The works will involve upgrading the production instalations of ammonia from two factories, factory the rebuilding of urea factory and of granular towers of and Ammonium Nitrate and NPK sections, and building a wastewater treatment plant, shows Mihai Aniței, general manager of the plant.

“From the end of 2015 there will be other environmental constraints. Unless we make these investments, we could no longer work”, said Mihai Aniței, quoted by Mediafax. Company management intends to increase production from 1.3 million tons to 1.5 million tons of fertilizer per year, with 80% of production destined for internal market.

Technical Director at Azomureş, Aurel Botezan, said that, after these investments, there will be a significantly decrease of the amount of Carbon Dioxide emitted into the atmosphere from the two ammonia plants, while at the new urea plant, ammonia and dust emissions will fall by up to 60%. Even if these investments are estimated along with an increase in production, technologies that will be installed will reduce emissions and increase product quality, said Aurel Botezan, quoted by Mediafax.

According to Ovidiu Maior, spokesman at Azomureş, after these investments there will be no slippage of environmental standards at the fertilizer plant.

“There are several large projects, which together will bring the limits (of Azomureş emissions) in line with the rules that will come into force in January 2016. The investment value is around 220 million euros, divided as follows: 20 million euros for complying with environmental standards, and an addition of 170 million euros on large projects. And there are a few other projects up to 220 million euros, in various departments. The deadline for completion is 31 December 2015 This means that by that time the new and upgraded facilities will be put into service”, said he.

In April 2012, Azomureş received from Regional Environmental Protection Agency Sibiu a revised environmental permit, which requires investment of 170 million euros by the end of 2015. Shareholders had decided to supplement this budget in order to increase capacity and product quality, said Azomureş representatives.