MOL Group’s retail sales volumes in Romania (including fuels, LPG and lubricants) rose 16% in H1, to 311 kt, thanks to the favourable macro environment, the company said in the half-year report sent to investors.

Diesel sales volumes incresed 16% vs. the first half of 2015, to 223 kt, while gasoline sales jumped 13%, to 78 kt.

“We already see the benefits of our previous retail acquisitions in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Romania. Following the recent acquisition in Slovenia I am happy to report that this week we have just announced the closing of the acquisition of Eni’s downstream business in Hungary. With this transaction we now have more than 2,000 service stations, serving daily more than 1 million customers in Central Eastern Europe, further cementing MOL Group’s leading role in the region,” said József Simola, chief financial officer, MOL Group.

In the second quarter of 2016 versus the corresponding interval of last year, diesel sales increased 14%, to 119 kt, and gasoline volumes rose 11%, to 42 kt.

On a Group level, MOL retail sales volumes rose 12% in H1, to 1,941 kt, at a similar pace with the April-June period. MOL Group estimates that motor fuel demand rose 5%, on average, in the 10 CEE countries where it has retail operations.