After the acquisition of COS Targoviste in March this year, AFV Beltrame Group started the production of rebar under the Donalam brand.
The plant is the only full-cycle rebar producer in Romania, supplying about half of the domestic needs in the construction sector, to end the dependence of the local market on imports from Europe and abroad.
In order to relaunch the activity of the plant, Beltrame Group has so far hired about 300 employees, some of them former employees of COS Targoviste, and by the end of July it intends to reach 450 employees.
In a first phase, about 10.000 tons of rebar/month will leave the Donalam Târgoviște mill, and in 2023 the production capacity will increase to about 30.000 tons/month, meaning more than 300.000 tons/year.
Thus, the plant will supply Romania with about half of its domestic needs of rebar for construction, which is around 600,000 – 700,000 tons per year.
Over the next 5 years around EUR 100 million will be invested in modernising the machinery and 80% of the budget will be allocated to the purchase of technologies to reduce carbon emissions, increase energy efficiency and move towards a circular economy.
In addition to the commissioning of the former steel mill, Beltrame is in the final stages of authorising a green rebar and wire rod plant, which will also be built on the Targoviste site.
With the completion of this green plant, expected in 2024, the total production capacity of Donalam Targoviste will be around 700.000 – 800.000 tons of rebar and wire rod annually.
In the Romanian construction sector, total domestic consumption of rebar and wire is around 1.5 million tons/year.
For 2022, the Beltrame Group estimates a turnover of around 140 million euros in Romania, a similar level to 2021.