Worth mentioning is that the gross profit of the National Salt Company doubled in 2011, as compared to 2010, reaching 5.2 million Euros. Last year, SALROM registered a turnover of 66.1 million Euros, the highest figure that has been registered since the company was set up. In 2011, the National Salt Company extracted over 2.4 million tons of salt, a record high in the last five years. Some 27% of this amount was exported. The company has paid 20.8 million Euros worth of taxes to the state budget, without having current debts or arrears to pay to the state budget.

In 2011, over one million people visited the salt mines in Ocnele Mari, Cacica, Praid, Slanic Prahova and Targu Ocna. This year, the company intends to further pursue the policy meant to increase its turnover and profit, by the rational exploitation and protection of salt deposits, upgrading technologies at a fast pace, in terms of salt extraction, processing and packaging, meeting all requirements in the field of environmental protection and enhancing competitiveness by accessing funds, under the Sectoral Operational Programme “The Increase of Economic Competitiveness", Priority Axis IV, “Energy Efficiency”.

So today, we will take a tour of some salt mines in Romania, to find out from our interlocutors economic details of their activity. The managing director of the Turda Salt Mine, in central Romania, Ovidiu Mera:

Ovidiu Mera: ”Things had been difficult until 2004, when the European Commission launched a financing program which consisted of pre-accession funds, namely the 2004-2006 PHARE Program, which included a financing line aimed at rendering areas with a natural therapeutic potential more attractive. The program suited us best, so we drafted the project, submitted it for approval and we got the funding. Obviously, the team was coordinated and pushed forward, so that it worked at a fast pace, because we practically drafted the project in two and half months. Practically, the total value of the project amounted to 5.8 million Euros and it was implemented in 2008-2009. The salt mine was officially opened to the public on January the 22nd 2010. Our primary goal was the development of spa tourism, capitalising on the salt mine micro-climate whose physical, chemical and microbiological parameters are particularly efficient in treating certain breathing disorders and, as research has proved, in treating such skin problems as lesions or burns. It was difficult, because none of us had any experience in this field.”

The project included the procurement of furniture for various salt mines, as well as changes in the lighting system and works on the underground lake.

We have also made a visit to the Targu Ocna salt mine, in eastern Romania, where geological engineer Carmen Maria Ţintaru told us about the past and present of the salt industry:

Carmen Maria Ţintaru: “The main activity of the Târgu Ocna salt mine is to produce and market salt products, while also providing tourism services. If we speak about the tradition of salt extraction in the area, you should know that this industry has a 500-year old history here. The entire region owes its development to this mineral resource, which is so important to our daily lives that it came to be known as “the white gold.” At present, salt is extracted from the Trotuş Mine, which was opened in a slope gallery in August 1970. So far salt has been extracted from nine excavation floors, and we are currently working on the 10th and 11th floors and planning to develop a new one. As for the output, the amount of salt we extract depends on the demand in the market. At present, the Târgu Ocna mine sells a total of 100 thousand tons, both at home and abroad.”

In the next installment of our business feature, we will bring you details about the activity of two other Romanian salt mines – Praid in the centre and Slănic Prahova in the south.