Croatian fertilizer producer Petrokemija is restarting production at all of its production plants at Kutina following a 15-month stoppage due to high natural gas prices and unfavorable market conditions.
According to a July 17 press release, the energy units at the site were restarted at the beginning of July, and production of ammonia resumed this past weekend. The units for the production of urea, UAN, and other fertilizer products are to be gradually put into operation by the end of July, according to the report.
“After the Yildirim Group took over management of Petrokemija on May 2, 2023, despite the volatility of natural gas prices and difficult conditions on the mineral fertilizer market and basing its decision on a detailed assessment and appreciation of the positive impact it would have on employees and the community, the management made a decision to start production,” the company said.
Turkey’s Yildirim Group in November 2022 signed an agreement with Petrokemija’s biggest shareholder, Croatian oil and gas group ING d.d., and Croatian gas company Prvo Plinarsko Društvo, to acquire Terra Mineralna Gnojiva, which holds a 54.517% stake in Petrokemija (GM Nov. 18, 2022).
Petrokemija was reported to have restarted production in March, but it is unclear how production continued (GM March 3, p. 26).
The company is Croatia’s sole fertilizer producer. Its nameplate production capacity for nitrogen fertilizers includes 0.45 million mt/y of ammonia, 0.31 million mt/y of ammonium nitrate, 0.5 million mt/y of urea, and 0.2 million mt/y of UAN, according to the Green Markets database.