Azomures, Romania’s leading producer of fertilizers and its largest natural gas consumer, has halted its operations due to reduced demand, according to Economica.net. The decision comes as natural gas prices on Romania’s spot market surged in early August, driven by concerns over potential disruptions in Russian gas transit through Ukraine amid ongoing military conflicts.
The company is currently fulfilling orders from recent production and remains prepared to resume operations when conditions improve.
Azomures has experienced irregular operations in recent years. In July 2024, the company restarted its urea production line, which had been inactive for two years. The suspension of Azomures’ production has impacted Romania’s natural gas balance, turning it into an exporter. During the first half of the year, Romania’s gas imports increased by 20% year-on-year.
Data from Transgaz, the natural gas transport system operator, shows that as of August 20, Romania imported 6.1 million cubic meters of gas from Bulgaria and exported 8 million cubic meters—7.1 million to Hungary and 0.9 million to Moldova. Additionally, 8.6 million cubic meters of gas were stored in reserves, which are nearly 90% full, while 2.4 million cubic meters were withdrawn from storage.