Cuprom
Encyclopedia
Cuprom is the sole producer of electrolytic copper
, continuous cast copper rod and enameled wire in Romania
and the largest in Eastern Europe
(outside Russia
).
Cuprom refinery in Baia Mare
has an annual production capacity of 40,000 tonnes of cathodes.
Cuprom plant in Zalău
, using Contirod technology, is one of the leading Europe
an wire rod producers with an annual production capacity of 70,000 tonnes of copper rod, also producing drawn, enameled and stranded (bunched) wires at the highest technological level.
was set up in the year 1907 in Ferneziu, near Baia Mare
, as a private company producing sulphuric acid.
It is recognised as a unique producer in Romania
of electrolytically refined copper (99.99% Cu), having a production capacity of 40,000 tones/year and of fine gold
and silver
respectively (min. 99.96% Au/Ag), having a production capacity of 12 tonnes/year for gold
, respectively 120 tonnes/year for silver
.
, Cuprom Zalău
is the sole producer of continuous cast copper wire with an annual nominal production of 73,000 tones/year.
n copper
industry was in a state of collapse when in 2003 a group of Romania
n investors, two bankers (Horia Pitulea and Horia Simu) and a lawyer (Mircea Stroe), decided to buy everything.
They formed Cuprom (Romania
n copper
) and with this company they bought Phoenix Baia Mare
and Elcond Zalău
for a meager US$3.6 million .
The company also wants to buy two Romania
n copper
mines to have the raw material for the copper smelters, and there are talks with the Romania
n government for two mines and an investment plan of US$370 million for both of them.
n company RTB Bor
with a total price of US$400 million and certain investments of US$150 million but due to Cuprom's inability to pay the asking price of US$400 million for RTB Bor
, the Serbia
n government annexed the privatization. In November 2007, RTB Bor
was sold to Austria
n, A-TEC for an even greater price of US$466 million, with a further US$273 million in investments, who in the end could not pay the price as well.
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
, continuous cast copper rod and enameled wire in Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
and the largest in Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
(outside Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
).
Cuprom refinery in Baia Mare
Baia Mare
Baia Mare is a municipality in northwestern Romania and the capital of Maramureş County. The city is situated about 600 kilometres from Bucharest, the capital of Romania, 70 kilometres from the border with Hungary and 50 kilometres from the border with Ukraine...
has an annual production capacity of 40,000 tonnes of cathodes.
Cuprom plant in Zalău
Zalau
Zalău is the seat of Sălaj County, Transylvania, Romania. In 2004, its estimated population was 62,900.- Ancient times :Zalău is situated in the area inhabited by "Free Dacians", 8 kilometers away from the historical landmark of Porolissum, a well-preserved Roman Castrum with an imposing fortress,...
, using Contirod technology, is one of the leading Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an wire rod producers with an annual production capacity of 70,000 tonnes of copper rod, also producing drawn, enameled and stranded (bunched) wires at the highest technological level.
Cuprom Baia Mare
Cuprom Baia MareBaia Mare
Baia Mare is a municipality in northwestern Romania and the capital of Maramureş County. The city is situated about 600 kilometres from Bucharest, the capital of Romania, 70 kilometres from the border with Hungary and 50 kilometres from the border with Ukraine...
was set up in the year 1907 in Ferneziu, near Baia Mare
Baia Mare
Baia Mare is a municipality in northwestern Romania and the capital of Maramureş County. The city is situated about 600 kilometres from Bucharest, the capital of Romania, 70 kilometres from the border with Hungary and 50 kilometres from the border with Ukraine...
, as a private company producing sulphuric acid.
It is recognised as a unique producer in Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
of electrolytically refined copper (99.99% Cu), having a production capacity of 40,000 tones/year and of fine gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
and silver
Silver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
respectively (min. 99.96% Au/Ag), having a production capacity of 12 tonnes/year for gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
, respectively 120 tonnes/year for silver
Silver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
.
Cuprom Zalău
In RomaniaRomania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
, Cuprom Zalău
Zalau
Zalău is the seat of Sălaj County, Transylvania, Romania. In 2004, its estimated population was 62,900.- Ancient times :Zalău is situated in the area inhabited by "Free Dacians", 8 kilometers away from the historical landmark of Porolissum, a well-preserved Roman Castrum with an imposing fortress,...
is the sole producer of continuous cast copper wire with an annual nominal production of 73,000 tones/year.
Ownership
Most of the RomaniaRomania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
industry was in a state of collapse when in 2003 a group of Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n investors, two bankers (Horia Pitulea and Horia Simu) and a lawyer (Mircea Stroe), decided to buy everything.
They formed Cuprom (Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
) and with this company they bought Phoenix Baia Mare
Baia Mare
Baia Mare is a municipality in northwestern Romania and the capital of Maramureş County. The city is situated about 600 kilometres from Bucharest, the capital of Romania, 70 kilometres from the border with Hungary and 50 kilometres from the border with Ukraine...
and Elcond Zalău
Zalau
Zalău is the seat of Sălaj County, Transylvania, Romania. In 2004, its estimated population was 62,900.- Ancient times :Zalău is situated in the area inhabited by "Free Dacians", 8 kilometers away from the historical landmark of Porolissum, a well-preserved Roman Castrum with an imposing fortress,...
for a meager US$3.6 million .
The company also wants to buy two Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
mines to have the raw material for the copper smelters, and there are talks with the Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n government for two mines and an investment plan of US$370 million for both of them.
Controversy
In 2006 Cuprom won the bid for SerbiaSerbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
n company RTB Bor
RTB Bor
RTB Bor is a copper mining company located in Bor, Serbia.-History:After privatisation of the company, the following facilities of the company have remained with basic activities related to the extraction and treatment of copper ore:...
with a total price of US$400 million and certain investments of US$150 million but due to Cuprom's inability to pay the asking price of US$400 million for RTB Bor
RTB Bor
RTB Bor is a copper mining company located in Bor, Serbia.-History:After privatisation of the company, the following facilities of the company have remained with basic activities related to the extraction and treatment of copper ore:...
, the Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
n government annexed the privatization. In November 2007, RTB Bor
RTB Bor
RTB Bor is a copper mining company located in Bor, Serbia.-History:After privatisation of the company, the following facilities of the company have remained with basic activities related to the extraction and treatment of copper ore:...
was sold to Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n, A-TEC for an even greater price of US$466 million, with a further US$273 million in investments, who in the end could not pay the price as well.