Fertilizer producer Azomures, based in Romania, restarts operation following a year-long halt
Romania's largest natural gas producer, Romgaz, is actively considering the acquisition of Azomures, the country's only active fertilizer producer. The Swiss group Ameropa currently owns Azomures, which resumed operation at 30% capacity in July 2025 following a year-long outage due to high natural gas prices.
The Azomures industrial platform, located in Târgu Mureș, spans over 100 hectares and includes facilities for the production of various fertilizers such as NPK, ammonium nitrate, nitrolim, and granulated urea, among others. The plant also produces industrial products like melamine, technical urea, ammonia water, and nitric acid.
Azomures delivers 75% of its production to distributors in Romania, with the remainder going to the regional market, including countries like Serbia, Hungary, Bulgaria, and Ukraine. With an annual consumption of around 1.2 billion cubic meters of natural gas, the plant's operation is closely linked to Romgaz's core gas production business.
Recently, Romgaz signed a contract with a consultancy firm to assist with the potential acquisition of Azomures. The contract includes services for evaluating, negotiating, and potentially purchasing the fertilizer plant's production assets. The consultancy process is expected to last for 12 months, covering the entire acquisition process, from initial assessment to possible completion.
The acquisition is part of Romgaz's strategy to diversify the range of value-added activities based on its natural gas production. Romgaz is also analysing the possibility of expanding into the chemical industry and acquiring assets that compete with Azomures' production activity.
The consultant hired for the potential takeover of Azomures will analyse the current business model and propose improvements, identifying risks, opportunities, strengths, and weaknesses. The analysis will focus on the potential acquisition of Azomures assets and their integration into Romgaz's activities, with a particular emphasis on the synergies that can be obtained as a result of this integration.
As the acquisition process progresses, the timing and terms of the deal could be influenced by the plant's current production levels. With Azomures now back online, Romgaz stands to gain a significant foothold in the fertilizer industry, potentially bolstering Romania's agricultural sector and enhancing the country's economic growth.
The Azomures industrial platform, given its extensive facilities for the production of various fertilizers and industrial products, presents an attractive target for Romgaz's expansion into the fertilizer industry, which is part of Romgaz's larger strategy to diversify into value-added activities in both the energy and chemical sectors. The potential acquisition could significantly increase Romgaz's influence in the regional finance market, considering Azomures' extensive distribution network across Romania and neighboring countries.
