Compared to previous year’s cumulative turnover of the companies comprised in the top at that time, the amount is smaller by approximate EUR 300 million. The most common explanation is that on the overall global markets, the industrial production and demand of projects decreased in the last few years, including the design and engineering services.
Thus, this year started with several investments developed by the companies comprised in the industry ranking and some of them, targeted projects in energy, either it was about green or archetypal, as oil.
A Golden safari
One of the companies operating on the volatile market of industrial engineering and that marked an exotic deal at the end of last year is Prospectiuni, owned by businessman Ovidiu Tender.
If the company recorded a drop of sales of 27 percent in 2010, the recovery came soon in 2011, and Prospectiuni exceeded 315 million RON at the end of the last year. The company climbed the top of industrial engineering up to the fourth ranking in 2012. Tender’s company felt the gold-rush at the end of 2011 and announced it received the exploiting and exploration permits for gold, heavy and rare metals in Senegal to prospect seven areas with mineral resources and also expended through other contracts in countries as Guinea Bisau and Capo Verde.
The steel barometer
The worldwide price of steel is said to be the best barometer in order to indicate the real state of the global economy. As players in the industry state, the price of steel reached a very low level, it touched a new low record, since the debut of crisis. This only stresses again that the overall consumption rates position at a still low level.
For instance, a balanced price for steel would mean a level of 700 to 800 USD per tonne. For a blunt comparison, few years ago, before it all started in 2008, the steel price reached a level 1,000 USD per tonne.
Now, a tonne of steel is valued at less than 400 USD, at 344 USD. According to the manager, the next year is not expected to bring many surprises in this respect. Still, the company signed several significant deals in the last year, marking recently an important transaction worth EUR 2 million by purchasing a Swiss company specializing in engineering services, MTAG Marti Technologie AG.
Also, Adrem Invest, through its process engineering division – the first division of the Romanian company, established in 1992, it signed this year a contract for the largest facility for degassing of liquid steel in the world and the project is being done for a Chinese company, with deadline in September 2013.
Projects and industrial workings
Another major company placing on the second ranking in the top of industrial engineering, following the turnover achieved in 2011 is Renault Technologie Roumanie, with a turnover of near 535 million RON.
In June this year, Renault Technologie Roumanie (RTR) announced the delivery of its newest project, the construction of the pre-treatment plant wastewater at Titu Technical Center. Built on a plot of approximately 2500 sqm, the plant treats water before being sent to the city's wastewater treatment plant.
RTR has invested about EUR 350,000 in this project, from an overall engagement worth EUR 2 million spent between 2008–2012 for water resources preservation in Titu Technical Center area.
Romelectro, ranking third in current industrial engineering top with a turnover of more than 351 million RON, recently announced that the company started to implement the rehabilitation project at station in Galati county, delivering 220/110 kV. The project developed by a joint-venture of Romelectro and Carpathian Electromontaj Sibiu is to modernize the station by complete refurbishment in order to eliminate the risk of events in the area and minimizing annual maintenance and operating costs.
The contract was signed on in October this year, with deadline and it is due for 2014. Transelectrica is financing the project, from its own funds.
Operating industrial engineering services through its division Martifer Energia Ro, Martifer group and Martifer Solar Romania announced in September this year the completion of the company’s first photovoltaic project, a power production park developed in Vrancea area and established following a partnership with Eurowind Energy A/S. According to the company, the photovoltaic park stands on 4 hectares and has an installed capacity of 1.5 MW.
