Ukraine’s PJSC Rivneazot has resumed ammonia production and begun the launch of a limestone-ammonium nitrate unit and a non-concentrated acid unit according to Group DF, owned by Ukrainian oligarch Dmytro Firtash, in a Sept. 5 statement on its website. Rivneazot, located in the northwest of the country, is part of the Group DF nitrogen business.
The restart follows the completion of scheduled maintenance work, and has been timed to meet the autumn season in order to supply Ukraine’s farmers with nitrogen fertilizers,
“We have started a planned seasonal campaign to launch key workshops,” said the statement, citing Rivneazot Board Chairman Mikhail Zabluda. “First of all, we will increase the production of IAC [limestone-ammonium nitrate], the most demanded fertilizer today.” Following the restart, operational capacity is 650,000 mt/d of ammonia, 1,600 mt/d of limestone-ammonium nitrate, and 960,000 mt/d of nitric acid, according to the company statement.
“Further resumption of production capacities will depend on market conditions – capacities will be loaded in proportion to effective demand,” said Zabluda.
He emphasized that an equally important factor in the resumption of the full production cycle of fertilizers is the availability and current cost of natural gas.
Group DF’s nitrogen business is operated via the Ostchem Holding, which controls Ukraine’s largest nitrogen fertilizer producers. As well as Rivneazot, Ostchem controls Cherkasy Azot, Severodonetsk Azot, and Stirol, the latter two operations being located in Russian-occupied Ukraine.