Belarus nitrogen fertilizer producer Grodno Azot may begin construction of its new nitrogen fertilizer production complex this year, or, if not, “definitely next year,” according to a BelTA report, citing the country’s President Aleksandr Lukashenko, on a visit to the company on June 16.
The Belarus producer is reported to have selected Italy’s Tecnimont SpA as the successful bidder for the general contractor/EPC for the new nitrogen fertilizer project, although this could not be confirmed by press time. Negotiations between the two parties have been ongoing; Grodno Azot was reported to have selected Tecnimont as the successful bidder from among bids submitted from a total of five companies, according to a BelTA report this past February (GM May 29, p. 30).
According to Grodno Azot’s website, the new complex will be built with capacity for 875,000 mt/y of ammonia and 1,225,000 mt/y of granular urea. Commissioning is targeted for fourth-quarter 2025. Output from the new plant will allow Belarus to “fully meet” domestic demand for urea, as well as provide for export sales, the company said. It sees domestic urea consumption reaching about 800,000 mt/y by 2025.
Last month, the State Oil Co. of the Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) was reported to have expressed interest in Grodno Azot’s new nitrogen fertilizer project, according to a report by Baku, Azerbaijan-based Trend News Agency, citing SOCAR’s Deputy Head of the Public Relations and Events Department Ibrahim Ahmadov. But no further details were provided or have emerged on what form of potential participation the Azerbaijan company was considering.
Alongside building the new nitrogen fertilizer complex, Grodno Azot plans to simultaneously carry out work to modernize its existing facilities that produce ammonia and urea. The expected capex for the modernization work is put at $250 million over the period 2020-2024, according to this week’s BelTA report.