Swiss group Clariant sticks with their plan to start producing bioethanol, a fuel made from straw processing, at its new plant in Romania until the end of 2021, Ziarul Financiar reported.

The construction of the EUR 140 mln factory began four years earlier in Podari, near Craiova.

"Our goal is starting production by the end of this year. There is great interest in cellulosic ethanol both in Romania and in other EU countries. We are finishing this year's harvest campaign with 20 new partners and 80,000 tons of straw collected," said Dragoş Gavriluţă, CEO of Clariant.

The Swiss decided in 2017 to invest EUR 100 mln in a bioethanol plant in Romania, and EUR 40 mln from EU funds were added to the initial investment.

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andrei@romania-insider.com