Shocking changes in Siarcopol, 1 of the most crucial companies to extract sulphur by underground melting, shook the local community and chemical industry. Janusz Gorczyca, president of the Grupa Azoty Siarkopol Grzybów, resigned his position, and there are group redundancies in the plant, which are to cover as many as 196 employees. What is behind this decision and what are the prospects for Seropopol?
President's resignation: Rumours, unexplained reasons and hard situation of the company
Janusz Gorczyca, who took the position of president of Siarkopol in May 2024, resigned with effect at the end of February 2025. The authoritative reasons for his decision were not disclosed. Monika Darnobyt, spokeswoman of the Azota Group, confirmed only the fact that she resigned, adding that the company had already announced a competition for a fresh president.
Rumors of the Gourmets' departure have been circulating among employees for days. Rafał Dąbrowski, president of the trade union of workers of the Continuous Movement in Syarkopol, admitted that he himself asked the president about these reports, but did not get a clear answer. – The change of the ruler surely does not service the company, especially given the minute where Siarkopol is located. We are in a very hard financial situation – comments Dąbrowski.
Group exemptions: Human tragedy and financial crisis
Siarkopol, presently employing 700 people, faces immense financial problems. In 2023 the company recorded a failure of PLN 90 million, which represents a drastic deterioration compared to the net profit of PLN 20 million in 2022. As a result, the board decided on group redundancies to cover 196 employees.
Every day, notices are given. It's hard even to comment. It is simply a human tragedy," says Dąbrowski. Trade unions believe that dismissals are a mistake, as the human origin is the basis for the establishment.
Exhausting sulphur deposits: Does Siarkopol have a chance to survive?
One of the key problems of Siarcopol is the depletion of sulphur deposits in Osiek, which have been operating for more than 30 years. The Świętokrzyska "Solidarność" warns that without the fast commencement of operation of the fresh deposit in Rudniki, the future of the full company is at stake.
– Without the start of a fresh investment, he threatens to liquidate the full company – says the union position. The deposit in Rudniki, located close the Polaniec Power Plant, is seen as a chance to save Siarkopol.
Rudniki project: Chance or next challenge?
However, the exploitation plans of the Rudniki deposit are controversial. Although the task is analysed by the Azoty Group, its implementation entails immense costs. Monika Darnobyt admits that the financial situation of the full Group is hard – the debt amounts to nearly PLN 10 billion and the net failure for 2023 reached PLN 3.3 billion.
– The “Rudniki” mine task is analysed in the context of the heat price outlook for sulphur extraction and sulphur prices in global markets," explains the spokesperson. It adds that no crucial steps have been taken in erstwhile years to prepare this investment, which now makes it much harder to implement.
What's next with Siarkopol?
The future of Seropopol seems uncertain. Both the group exemptions and the exhaustion of sulphur deposits call into question the continued operation of the plant. Trade unions call for urgent measures that could save the company, but without financial and strategical support from the Azota Group, the chances of recovery are slim.
– Everyone can slow down, and the only way out of the current crisis is to co-finance Siarkopol by beginning a fresh mine in Rudniki," emphasised Paweł Dender, the head of the company “Solidarity”.
Will Siarkopol last this hard time? The answer to this question depends on the decisions to be taken in the coming months.
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Group exemptions in Syrcopol
