The Kazakh-Romanian Energy Investment Fund completed the construction of a new gas station in 1 Decembrie – Ilfov and reached 10 new stations opened this year. Operated under the Rompetrol brand, the FIEKR network currently amounts to 30 units.
“Despite the context and the delays generated by COVID 19 – material deliveries, works / connections, approvals / receptions, this year we managed to continue also this year the program of expanding the fuel distribution network in Romania. The new stations confirm the commitment of the Fund and its shareholders in supporting the energy sector and strategic investments, by creating new jobs, new sources of financing for the local and central budgets, but also building a new electricity and heat production capacity in Dobrogea region,” says Iskander Abdibaitov, general manager of the Kazakh-Romanian Energy Investment Fund.
The 10 new gas stations are located in Cluj (Vuia, Oradea Clujului, Gheorghieni), Ilfov (Clinceni, December 1), Prahova (DN1 – Campina), Bucharest (Sisesti street), Arges (Curtea de Arges), Valcea (Valea Oltului – Calimanesti) and Craiova (Simnic).
With a number of about 170 employees, the new gas stations offer customers quality products and services from the gastro and shop categories such as: a wide range of fresh products produced in strict hygiene conditions, a careful selection of retail convenience products.
“Our customers will have a pleasant surprise after the end of this difficult period, we are waiting them with a new concept of Rompetrol stations, characterized by the alignment of external construction elements to current trends and an optimization of the production space for gastro products. If the exterior construction elements made of ecological materials and energy efficient equipment define the new Rompetrol image, the interior part emphasizes an optimization of the space for the preparation of new assortments of fresh products/menus,” adds Iskander Abdibaitov.
The concept was developed internally at the end of last year and was launched in the first part of this year through the new station in Bucharest – Sisesti, which became the laboratory for testing and observing customers, their feedback and suggestions. The stations Curtea de Arges and Valea Oltului – Calimanesti represent and reflect the defining lines of the new concept.
The structural and visual elements of the canopy and the store have a minimalist format and highlight the HEI brand, thus announcing an accentuated focus on the development of the range of fresh products prepared in the station. The new visual communication elements, the digital displays and the technologies used are of the latest generation and represent Rompetrol’s signature of striving to meet customer needs.
The new design of the stations will be implemented only in future locations, based on complex analyzes of traffic, geographical positioning, number of customers and their preferences in the selection of gastro products.
Currently, the fund, through the investment vehicle (SPV) – KMG Rompetrol Development SRL, owns 30 gas stations under the Rompetrol brand which sell exclusively the Efix range of car fuels produced at Petromidia Navodari refinery. It is part of Rompetrol Rafinare – which also operates the Vega Ploiesti refinery and the petrochemical division – the only domestic producer of polymers, being owned mainly by KMG International (54,63% – directly and indirectly) and the Romanian State, through the Ministry of Energy (44,7%).
Future plans
By 2023, the Kazakh-Romanian Energy Investment Fund aims to reach a network of 84 gas stations in Romania (acquisition and modernization of existing stations, construction of new stations), which will ensure the creation of over 1,000 new jobs, over 5,000 people involved in various stages of development (design, execution, construction) and over 1,200 business partners.
Another investment project targeted by the Fund is the construction of a new cogeneration plant in Midia through the investment vehicle (SPV) – Rompetrol Energy SA, in which it will be the majority shareholder together with KMG International, Rominserv and Uzina Termoelectrica Midia.
Calik Enerji was selected this year for the turnkey construction of the cogeneration plant, the works will start next year. For their initiation, several preparatory stages are underway, such as geotechnical study and obtaining/updating specific permits/authorizations.
The new combined heat and power generation plant will run on natural gas as its main fuel and will produce about 80 MW of electricity – of which about 60-70 MW to fully cover the electricity needs of the Petromidia platform, technological steam up to at 180 tons/hour, plus the necessary hot water for the heating system of Navodari – up to 20 MWt/hour.
The total investment of the fund in this project amounts to about 148 million USD, the estimated term for the commissioning of the new plant being the first half of 2023. Currently, the Fund’s total investment level for approved energy projects amounts to $ 290 million.
The Kazakh-Romanian Energy Investment Fund was established in October 2018 by KMG International and the Energy Participation Management Company. Its main and strategic objective is pursuing the development of energy projects in Romania.