Acron Group, Moscow, this week reported a 5 percent increase in its total commercial output to 2.03 million mt in the first quarter, up from the year-ago 1.95 million mt. Fertilizer output increased 1 percent, to 1.62 million mt, up from 1.6 million mt.
Acron Group Fertilizer Production
| ‘000 mt | 1Q-2021 | 1Q-2020 | Percent change |
| Ammonia | 668 | 677 | +2 |
| Nitrogen fertilizers | 1,170 | 1,114 | +5 |
| AN | 575 | 604 | (5) |
| Urea | 319 | 245 | +30 |
| Of which: | |||
| Prilled urea | 56 | 131 | (57) |
| Granular urea | 151 | 0 | – |
| UAN | 276 | 265 | +4 |
| Complex fertilizers | 611 | 618 | (1) |
| NPK | 584 | 590 | (1) |
| Total commercial fertilizers | 1,615 | 1,596 | +1 |
Acron Group began the production of granular urea last year, following the commissioning of a 700,000 mt/y urea granulation unit at its Veliky Novgorod site in northwest Russia (GM May 22, 2020). Hitherto, Acron had only produced urea that is prilled or rotoform.
The Russian group this week also confirmed its Urea 6+ urea project at Veliky Novgorod remains on track to come on stream in the current quarter (GM March 19, p. 1).
The completion of the upgrade will increase the urea unit’s production capacity by 520,000 mt/y, and will increase Acron Group’s annual urea production capability by over half a million mt to 1.9 million mt, making it the largest urea producer not only in Russia, but also in Europe.