Corporate Profile

The Saras Group operates in the energy sector and is one of the leading independent oil refiners in Europe. With a production capacity of 15 million tons per year (or 300,000 barrels per day), the Saras refinery situated in Sarroch, on the South-Western coast of Sardinia, accounts for about 15% of Italy's total refining capacity. It is also one of the biggest and most complex sites in the Mediterranean area, and it enjoys a strategic location at the heart of the main oil routes. Moreover, Saras refinery is regarded as a model of efficiency and environmental sustainability, thanks to a wealth of know-how, technology and human resources accrued in almost 50 years of business.

Both directly and through its subsidiaries Arcola Petrolifera S.p.A. and Deposito di Arcola S.r.l. in Italy, and Saras Energia S.A. in Spain, the Saras Group sells and distributes oil products including diesel, gasoline, heating oil, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), virgin naphtha and aviation fuel on the Italian, European and international markets. In particular, in 2011 approximately 2.4 million tons of oil products were sold in Italy, through our subsidiary Arcola Petrolifera, which operates exclusively in the wholesale market. Arcola Petrolifera relies on several logistic basis spread all over Italy, and it also uses a storage deposit with a capacity of 200,000 cubic metres of petroleum products, owned by the Group, managed by the subsidiary Deposito di Arcola S.r.l. and located in Arcola (La Spezia). A further 1.8 million tons of oil products were sold in the Spanish market through Saras Energia, which is active both in the wholesale and in the retail market. More in details, Saras Energia manages an oil products storage deposit with a capacity of 112,000 cubic metres, owned by the Group and located in Cartagena (Spain). It also uses other storage deposits owned by other major logistic operators (CLH, Decal, Tepsa, etc.), located all over the Spanish territory. Saras Energia also manages a retail network made by 124 service stations, mainly positioned along the Spanish Mediterranean Coast, and a biodiesel plant in Cartagena, with a capacity of 200.000 tons per year.

During the past decade, the Saras Group expanded from oil refining and marketing, also into the power generation sector. More specifically, the subsidiary Sarlux S.r.l. produces electricity with an IGCC plant (Integrated Gasification plant with Combined Cycle power generation turbines), with a total installed capacity of 575MW. The feedstock used by the IGCC plant is the heavy residue of the refinery, and the plant generates over 4 billion kWh of electricity each year, which corresponds to more than 30% of the electricity requirements in Sardinia.

Moreover, still in the island of Sardinia, the Group is also involved in the production of electricity from renewable sources, through a wind park situated in Ulassai, with an installed capacity of 96MW, managed by the subsidiary Sardeolica S.r.l.. Saras Group provides also industrial engineering and scientific research services to the oil, energy and environment industry via its subsidiary Sartec S.p.A.. Lastly, in July 2011, Saras S.p.A. created the company Sargas S.r.l., which operates in the sector of gas, hydrocarbons, through activities such as exploration and development, as well as the transport, storage, purchase and sale of gaseous hydrocarbons.