Swiss chemical company Clariant, which last autumn launched the construction of a EUR 140 million bioethanol plant in Podari, near Craiova in southern Romania, estimates that the factory will be commissioned in the last quarter of next year.

Initially, it expressed more optimistic expectations for starting fuel production in 2020.

"Construction work on our industrial-scale biofuel plant in Romania is progressing well. We expect the commissioning in the fourth quarter of 2021," said Clariant CFO Stephan Lynen, quoted by Profit.ro.

The Clariant plant in Podari will have a production capacity of approximately 50,000 tons of cellulosic ethanol per year.

It will use the company's proprietary technology (sunliquid) to produce ethanol from straw and other waste from agricultural activities.

The EUR 140 mln project was partly funded with EU funds worth EUR 40 million.

When launching the project last autumn, Clariant's representatives said they expected the invested money to be recovered within ten years.

(Photo: clariant.com)

editor@romania-insider.com