Hidro Jepi SA is a private company with a long history and tradition in innovation. It was founded in the 19th century. The company’s object of activity was the production of pulp and paper, and that is why it was built in Busteni, at the foot of the Bucezi Mountains, to be in the vicinity of raw materials for paper production.
- In 1882 the Schiel brothers founded the paper factory “C. & S. Schiel ”.
- The communist authorities nationalized the factory in 1948 and it became the “September 13” paper factory and later became the “Busteni Paper Enterprise”.
- After the 1989 Revolution, the Busteni Paper Enterprise was transformed into a state-owned joint-stock company “S. C. Hartia S. A. ”
- In the year 2000 the company was privatized and became “S. C. OMNIMPEX HARTIA S. A.”, and in 2007 the name of the company was changed to“ HIDRO JEPI S. A. ”
The whole Busteni mountain region developed around this factory.
The company has a rich history beginning in 1882. Since its inception, it has played a leading role in global water and energy production. At its peak, the factory had over 3,000 employees.
In the early 1900s the factory built one of the first hydro turbines, which was used to generate electricity, and operated for more than 100 years, being replaced by a state-of-the-art turbine in 2010. The old hydro turbine remained in the initial location and is preserved, and will be located in a specially arranged space for educational purposes.
In its history, the company recorded a world premiere event by putting into operation the first internal electric railway, which was used to transport wood from the mountain forests to the place of production. The train locomotive is currently on display in Busteni Station. In 2000, the entire region from which the wood was mined for paper production was declared a protected national park. Due to economic reasons, the company stopped the production of paper and the activity was reshaped on the management of water assets and the production of electricity.