This year, Chimcomplex will open the most modern polyol plant in Central Europe after investing 40 million euros in Oltchim. Company President Stefan Vuza told Business Review how Chimcomplex's operations can consolidate Romania's position on the global chemical industry giant's map.

What can you tell us about the inauguration of the newest polyol plant in the region in Ramnicu Valcea?

This year, we will complete the investment in the newest and most efficient polyol plant in the region, valued at nearly 40 million euros. This will increase our production capacity to more than 140,000 tons per year, and we will be among the top 8 in European production. Polyols are used in a variety of sustainable applications, from wind turbine blades to insulation materials in the construction industry. At least 10 polyols produced in Oltchim can be found in any apartment. Read more about the 2021 Foreign Investor Summit | Speaker quotes and conclusions Read more

Our special polyol plant has high performance characteristics in terms of digitization, energy efficiency and manufacturing waste treatment. Its annual production capacity will be equivalent to 3,500 kilometers of new 2x2 meter flexible mattresses. The new plant will benefit from the excellent work done by our team from the Polyol Advanced Research and Development Center, which has more than 40 years of experience in operations and cooperation with Romanian customers and laboratories, as well as international universities and research institutions.

Is chemical research still going on in Romania?

Of course it is. We focus on polyols. In order to maintain our leading position, we must continue to conduct research and innovation. Oltchim has been engaged in and funding polyol research. We have also designed and built polyether production facilities, and contributed more than 80 patents to export polyethers to 43 countries in Europe, Asia and Africa. Innovative projects and the flexibility of the development team are the company's greatest strengths. Today, we are studying 14 new patents. For example, we are talking about polyols derived from vegetable oils, that is, polyols made from castor oil.

Chimcomplex-Oltchim places great emphasis on innovation. How do you keep up with the giants of Western Europe?

Tradition and experience are important, and Romania has always been-and will continue to be-a giant in the chemical world. This is how Chimcomplex has succeeded in becoming a national economic strategy company and a champion of the chemical industry. It has the right infrastructure and is starting to push Romania towards a green future.

We hope that Romania will become one of the largest hydrogen centers in Europe. Our plan involves several stages, which will transform our production systems to make them completely green, and the energy we use, into a national project worth more than 1 billion euros. We are also innovative in the chemical recycling we have been doing for many years. In 2020 alone, we recovered more than 1,000 tons of hydrochloric acid. We are one of the three largest companies in the European Union with such projects, as well as giants Covestro and Dow.

The EU stated that it will only support industries that reduce their carbon footprint by investing in new technologies. What recommendations does Chimcomplex make in this new environment?

We capture and reprocess more than 5,400 tons of carbon dioxide each year. Chimcomplex-Oltchim absorbs carbon dioxide emitted by other industries and uses it in chemical processes along with green (and newer) blue or gray hydrogen. We will continue to invest in new technologies to increase the quality of carbon dioxide we can capture, and we will reprocess it into 12 finished products through 6 production lines. Our new plant will produce polyols using carbon dioxide as a raw material in order to reduce the carbon footprint and thus generate significant environmental benefits. Essentially, we will be among the top 10 companies in the world that manufacture polyols without causing pollution.

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