Mureș County

Azomureș

Romania's largest fertilizer producer Azomureș initiated collective layoff procedures in March 2026, targeting 865 out of 920 direct employees, after failed negotiations with Romgaz for acquisition. The industrial platform entered conservation phase. Earlier in January 2026, 600 employees were placed on șomaj tehnic (technical unemployment) and ~1,500 contractor workers were also affected. The company suspended production due to high natural gas prices and lack of a viable acquisition deal. This represents the potential end of Romania's last functional fertilizer plant. UPDATE (June 9, 2026): Romgaz finalized the acquisition of Azomureș assets for approximately 69 million EUR. However, production is not expected to resume before April 2027, as the facility requires extensive modernization and technical rehabilitation. The former owner Ameropa expressed satisfaction with securing a sustainable future for the workforce. The plant's restart is linked to natural gas from the Neptun Deep project (available 2027).