Koch Fertilizer LLC and its affiliates are significantly expanding their ability to serve customers and suppliers through development of new deepwater terminals and expansion of existing operations at ports around the world. Locations include Sète, France; Avonmouth, U.K.; Geelong, Australia; Topolobampo, Mexico; and Charleston, S.C., U.S. With the new additions, Koch Fertilizer’s global dry bulk, liquid, and ammonia storage capacities will exceed 2 million mt.
“These new investments will complement our global marketing, distribution and production network and enhance our ability to efficiently serve customers and suppliers,” said Steve Packebush, president of Koch Fertilizer LLC. “Operating terminals in ports around the globe will allow Koch Fertilizer to offer liquidity to suppliers of all types of fertilizer and provide customers access to low-cost products and services. We will have the capability to handle large and small vessel shipments and provide diverse products to agricultural and industrial customers in a broad number of strategic locations.
“We believe our terminal distribution system is one of the largest and most diverse of its kind in the world,” Packebush added.
The company announces the following new or expanded facilities.
?Çó Sète, France: Koch Fertilizer Trading Sárl has an agreement with SEA-Invest Sète to expand the fertilizer import terminal in Sète, France, to serve markets in southern and eastern France and the Mediterranean. SEA-Invest Sète, S.A., will build and operate a 20,000 mt storage facility in Sète for use exclusively by Koch Fertilizer Trading Sárl. Construction is expected to be complete in fourth quarter 2010. Koch Fertilizer Products SAS will be able to market a wide variety of products from the terminal, including urea, calcium ammonium nitrate, ammonium sulfate, phosphates, and potash via barge, truck, and rail shipments, and will provide bagged product. Sales contacts are Hervé Defrancq, +33 (13) 9238106, Herve.Defrancq@kochind.com; Steve Nowicki, + 33 (68) 7719006, Nowickis@kochind.com; and Maxime Austruy, +33 (13) 9238103, Maxime.Austruy@kochind.com.
?Çó Avonmouth, U.K.: Koch Fertilizer Trading Sárl has entered into an agreement with Bristol Port Company to expand its existing storage space to add 25,000 mt of capacity, for a total of 35,000 mt. The expansion will feature new blending facilities coupled to electronic weighbridge systems and computerized product handling. Construction is expected to be complete by third quarter 2010. Sales contacts are John Ridd, +44 (1672) 518290, John.Ridd@kochind.com, and Simon Borthwick, +44 (1672) 518290, Simon.Borthwick@kochind.com.
?Çó Geelong and Melbourne, Australia: Koch Fertilizer Asia Pty Ltd has leased a 150,000 mt storage facility from GrainCorp Operations Ltd. at Geelong, Australia, and is working with GrainCorp to add capital investments to improve efficiencies for dry fertilizer loading for primary distribution in the states of Victoria and New South Wales. In addition, Koch Fertilizer Australia Pty Ltd has opened an office in Melbourne, Australia. The sales contact is Marc Sukkel, +61 (3) 98768800, Marc.Sukkel@kochind.com.
?Çó Topolobampo, Sinaloa, Mexico: Koch Fertilizer Trading Sárl and Terminal Transoceánica de Topolobampo have entered into an agreement to expand Terminal Transoceánica’s 30,000 mt urea storage facility to better serve customers in northwest Mexico. Construction is expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2010. Koch Fertilizer will have dedicated access to 25,000 mt of storage space for dry fertilizers. The sales contact is Reinaldo Bello, +1 (345) 946-6726, Bellor@kochind.com.
?Çó Charleston, South Carolina, U.S.: Koch Nitrogen Company LLC recently added 40,000 mt of storage at Kinder Morgan Terminals,