Kiviõli Chemical Plant hoping for climate ministry agreement in January

Kiviõli Chemical Plant (Kiviõli Keemiatööstus), which is part of the Alexela Group, asked the Estonian Ministry of Climate for a time extension last year in order to comply with environmental requirements, promising to close down the company if it was not granted The company now expects to reach an agreement by the end of January.
The company, which employs 550 people, announced last month that it would not be able to resume production of shale oil in Kiviõli from this year if it does not receive an extension in order to meet environmental requirements.
Kiviõli Chemical Plant communications manager Gerli Kokk said reaching an agreement was only a matter of time and a decision will have to be taken in January.
"The details are being finalized," Kokk said. However, the company did not wish to comment publicly on the contents of a possible agreement before it is concluded.
The company had previously expected the negotiations to reach a conclusion in October. At the time, CEO Priit Orumaa was optimistic a deal would be reached. He told daily news outlet Põhjarannik that the plant would probably not close if an agreement was reached and that there were no fundamental differences with the ministry.
According to Orumaa, the agreement concerned both environmental emissions and future oil shale mining.
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Editor: Barbara Oja, Michael Cole