Acron Group expects to complete the modernization project of the Urea 1-4 units at its Veliky Novgorod production site in northwest Russia by 2025, and is considering adding a third urea granulation unit at the site as well as expanding the existing prilling tower, the company said in a Dec. 4 statement.
On completion, the daily aggregate production capacity of the N1-4 urea units will increase from 2,050 mt to 3,100 mt, adding an additional 400,000 mt/y to the site’s capacity. Acron Veliky Novgorod is already the largest urea production site in Europe, with a current total capacity of 2.1 million mt/y from six urea units.
Completion of the $80 million N1-4’urea project was originally planned for 2023 after being launched in 2021 (GM Dec. 3, 2021). Stamicarbon is acting as licensor for the basic design and technology. Acron made no comment on the delayed completion, though Western sanctions on Russia are likely to have contributed.
“As the output of liquid urea increases, the company will give the go-ahead for the design of a new urea granulation unit,” said Acron Chairman Alexander Popov. “At the same time, we are exploring options to increase the capacity of the existing prilling tower.”
Acron commissioned its second urea granulation unit at Veliky Novgorod this past August, with capacity of 700,000 mt/y (GM Aug. 18, p. 28). The group started up its first urea granulation unit, also with 700,000 mt/y capacity, in May 2020 (GM May 22, 2020). Before that, Acron had only produced urea that was prilled or rotoform.
Earlier this year, Acron completed a major overhaul of the Urea-6 unit at Veliky Novgorod, increasing its capacity to 2,650 mt/d. The company now has a total production capacity of 1.4 million mt/y for granular urea and 700,000 mt/y for prilled urea.
Acron also is upgrading the Ammonia-2 and Ammonia-3 units at Veliky Novgorod, which will add an additional 375,000 mt/y of ammonia production capacity at the site.