Zug, Switzerland, July 30, 2019 — EuroChem, a leading global fertilizer company, announces it has surpassed 350,000 tonnes of ammonia production at its new EuroChem Northwest facility in Kingisepp, Russia.

The $1bn facility was formally opened at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in June, and hailed as the most advanced and efficient ammonia production plant in the world.

EuroChem Northwest has an annual design capacity of 1 million tonnes that will more than meet the Group’s internal needs, with the excess being sold to customers worldwide.

“We are pleased to report that EuroChem Northwest has achieved 350,000 tonnes of ammonia production,” said Petter Ostbo, EuroChem Group CEO. “It’s an excellent start to our operations in this important market.”

He added: “EuroChem Northwest is a transformational project for the company and strengthens our ability to produce and deliver the full range of nutrients that farmers require to grow the food the world needs.”

Ilya Beloborodov, EuroChem Northwest Director, noted: “After completing the test phase during the first quarter, we have successfully ramped up production. The plant features state-of-the-art technology and, with our excellent logistics capabilities, we have now become a highly efficient global supplier of ammonia at the low end of the cost curve.”

Ammonia is rich in nitrogen, one of the three primary nutrients that all plants need to grow strong and healthy. These nutrients make up the core of EuroChem’s standard and premium product range. EuroChem will supply ammonia to its fertilizer production plants in Antwerp, Belgium; Lifosa in Lithuania; and Phosphorit, the Group’s adjacent phosphates facility in Kingisepp.

About 25 percent of total output will be sold to third parties, offering them a more cost-effective supply of ammonia. Close proximity to the Group’s existing rail and shipping facilities allows the ammonia to be easily transported to production units and world markets. Maire Tecnimont subsidiaries Tecnimont SpA and Tecnimont Russia OOO, were retained for the engineering, procurement and construction of the plant.

EuroChem Northwest incorporates the latest production technology, including KBR’s proprietary Purifier™ Ammonia Process. Sensitive to local environmental concerns, the plant was built on a brownfield site, and care was taken to minimize the impact on the surrounding areas. The facility features a closed water recycling system to prevent effluent discharges into the nearby Luga River, which flows into the Baltic Sea in the Gulf of Finland.

EuroChem continues to work closely with the John Nurminen Foundation on a major environmental project to prevent water runoff from any of its operations in Kingisepp. EuroChem Northwest has created 300 permanent jobs within the local community. At the peak of construction, which began in 2016, more than 5,000 people were employed in building the facility. Some 12,000 tonnes of steel were used in construction and more than 64km of piling was installed.