Companies line up to buy major sulphur producer

PKN Orlen has announced that it is interested in the privatization of the sulphur exporter Siarkopol Gdansk (SG). Other companies including Ciech, Siarkopol Grzybow and several foreign investment funds are also interested in the privatization. Currently, the Treasury Ministry is scrutinizing SG's pre-privatization analysis and is about to announce a tender for the sale of the enterprise. PKN Orlen uses SG's terminal to export heating oil. "Annually, we obtain 120,000 tones of sulphur from oil desulphurization, I think there will be more demand for sulphur on the domestic market, so we are interested in SG. We do not exclude the possibility of cooperating with Ciech in this matter," said a PKN representative. Siarkopol Grzybow, the only sulphur enterprise producer which has shown a long-term interest in SG and now fears that a new owner could raise sulphur prices. SG exports 100% of its output, which Siarkopol Grzybow sells abroad. (Puls Biznesu, p. 6) A.Z.