ZAGREB, Jan 16 (Hina) - Will the government ever settle the issue of the Petrokemija mineral fertiliser manufacturer, in which production has been halted for a month due to gas shortage, Ivan Kolar of the ruling coalition's Peasant
Party (HSS) asked of Economy Minister Goranko Fizulic in parliament on Wednesday. Kolar maintains the Kutina-based company's troubles could be overcome with the import or borrowing of power sources, but Fizulic said "the transport capacities in Croatia are so encumbered that the additional import of electricity could cause the breakdown of the entire power supply system." The minister reminded that Petrokemija and the domestic oil company INA had signed a contract on an annual purchase of 300 million square metres of gas. Petrokemija requires 500 million square metres, which INA can supply only in favourable weather conditions, he said. Households a
ZAGREB, Jan 16 (Hina) - Will the government ever settle the issue of
the Petrokemija mineral fertiliser manufacturer, in which
production has been halted for a month due to gas shortage, Ivan
Kolar of the ruling coalition's Peasant Party (HSS) asked of
Economy Minister Goranko Fizulic in parliament on Wednesday.
Kolar maintains the Kutina-based company's troubles could be
overcome with the import or borrowing of power sources, but Fizulic
said "the transport capacities in Croatia are so encumbered that
the additional import of electricity could cause the breakdown of
the entire power supply system."
The minister reminded that Petrokemija and the domestic oil company
INA had signed a contract on an annual purchase of 300 million
square metres of gas. Petrokemija requires 500 million square
metres, which INA can supply only in favourable weather conditions,
he said.
Households account for 70 percent of gas consumption, which puts
the government into a dilemma - to ration gas and electricity or
continue with the blockade of Petrokemija.
Although there is no quick fix, Fizulic said mineral fertiliser
might be imported for the spring sowing in order to make up for the
standstill in Petrokemija's production.
The company's supervisory board forwarded an appeal to the
government, the directors of INA and the HEP power company, and the
Croatian public on Tuesday, demanding the immediate implementation
of a conclusion reached with Fizulic stipulating that INA and HEP
should consider switching some users to other fuels so that
Petrokemija might stop incurring further debts.
Under the conclusion, some gas would be directed towards starting
the manufacturing of fertiliser. The appeal says the import of fuel
cannot restart production due to its poorer quality and higher
price, as well as from a logistic point of view, namely the timely
supply of the customer.
The appeal also advocates a permanent gas supply, stating this fuel
is essential to the manufacturing of fertiliser.
(hina) ha sb