An oil factory worth approximately 45 million euros is being built in Mihai Viteazu locality, Cluj County, by the Podișul Transilvaniei Agricultural Cooperative, which brings together 21 farmers from Cluj, Alba and Mureș.

The facility will span 8.5 hectares and will have a processing capacity of 600 tons of seeds per day, equivalent to approximately 219,000 tons per year at maximum capacity. The investment includes six silos for raw materials, spaces for meal, tanks and an agrovoltaic installation of 1.65 MW with energy storage systems, designed to reduce operating costs.

The project is co-financed through a mix of European funds, the contribution of cooperative members and a bank credit granted by CEC Bank. Construction work is already underway, and commissioning is estimated for the end of 2027.

The president of the cooperative, Emil Turdean, stated that the 21 cultivators have partnered together to have the strength to undertake a project of this magnitude, capable of efficiently serving the Transylvania region.

Romania is one of the main producers and exporters of sunflower seeds in the European Union, but continues to export a significant part of the raw material and import processed products, a gap that the new factory aims to reduce.