Decision about construction of bio-ethanol factory in Zrenjanin to be made prior to end of year 2007

(Goran Knežević)

Goran Knežević, Mayor of Zrenjanin, estimated that the situation with the construction of bio-ethanol factory was "clear" and he said that the definite decision would be made prior to the end of year 2007.

At the press conference, which was held yesterday (November 28, 2007), he said that the municipal administration had waited long enough and changed deadlines for commencement of investments on two occasions.

- We did everything we could in the domain of local self-government. We provided land and favorable terms, we signed the contract and enabled contacts with the Government. Unfortunately, we are not in the position to wait any longer. Technologies that are present in this field in the world are slowly changin, so that we already received some offers from other investors who deal with similar technologies in a more modeern way, and the decision will be made very soon - he explained.

Namely, Municipality of Zrenjanin signed the contract on September 25, 2006, with Hungarian-German consortium "Biotech Energy" on construction of the greatest greenfield investment in the Balkans, worth about 380m EUR, but the construction has not commenced yet.

Among the rest, "Biotech Energy" is obliged to pay 3.6m EUR to the local self-government before commencement of construction of the unit on surface of 60 ha.