Grupa Azoty Puławy has purchased a nitric acid production technology from thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions AG.

On Monday (April 24th 2017) Grupa Azoty Puławy signed a contract with thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions AG of Germany for the grant of a licence for a nitric acid production technology, including the delivery of process documentation and key equipment, and for the supervision over plant installation and start-up.

The construction of the new nitric acid production unit is a key element of Grupa Azoty Puławy’s project to develop fertilizer production, which also covers the construction of new neutralisation and fertilizer production units. In addition, the existing four nitric acid production lines will be modernised, which will increase the production capacity and improve the consumption rates of the main production feedstocks and energy carriers. The unit’s environmental impact will be substantially reduced. The total value of the project is PLN 695m.

„It is currently the largest investment project underway in the Grupa Azoty Group’s fertilizer segment and the Puławy plant’s largest one in more than a decade. The fertilizer segment is particularly important for the entire Grupa Azoty Group as it generates about 60% of its revenue. The steps that Grupa Azoty Puławy is taking are to prepare a base for the manufacture of modern fertilizers, thus filling the gap in our offering,” says Jacek Janiszek, President of Grupa Azoty Puławy.

In addition to significantly enhancing the nitric acid production scale and efficiency, the project will largely contribute to improving the efficiency of nitric acid-based fertilizer production. A part of the output of the new (fifth) nitric acid unit will be processed on a new line for the production of speciality liquid and solid fertilizers: magnesium nitrate, calcium nitrate and potassium nitrate, with a target capacity of 600 tonnes per day.

‘We plan to invest more than PLN 1bn in the nitrate fertilizers area by 2021. In addition to the new nitric acid unit, we will also build two nitrate mechanical granulation lines. These investments will allow us to market new products, awaited by farmers. In the next four years, Grupa Azoty Puławy will expand its product range by six new fertilizers,’ adds Andrzej Skwarek, member of the Management Board of Grupa Azoty Puławy.

The new fertilizers will serve as the base for blended fertilizers manufactured at the Dobre Miasto plant based on fertilizers produced in other Grupa Azoty Group’s plants. „The technology we have purchased for the new nitric acid line at Grupa Azoty Puławy is a modern and proven solution that meets the highest environmental requirements,’ said Richard Saure, Head of Operating Unit Nitrates and Phosphates at thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions AG.

The EnviNOx® process of catalytic reduction of N2O and NOx will help to achieve low emission levels. The agreement also guarantees low consumption rates for main materials and feedstock.

In the course of the ongoing consolidation of the Polish chemical sector, Grupa Azoty Zakłady Azotowe Puławy S.A. has become one of the pillars of the Grupa Azoty Group. The company is the largest supplier of nitrogen fertilizers for Polish agriculture and EU’s second largest supplier of prilled urea (PULREA®), ammonium nitrate (PULAN®), ammonium sulfate (PULSAR®), and urea-ammonium nitrate solution (UAN-RSM®). Moreover, it is Poland’s only and Europe’s third largest manufacturer of melamine, used in the furniture and construction industries, as well as a major manufacturer of caprolactam. Additionally, Grupa Azoty Zakłady Azotowe Puławy S.A. is the only producer of hydrogen peroxide in Poland. The company has been gradually increasing sales and production capacities in the area of RedNOx®, i.e. a product line dedicated to reduction of noxious emissions. Export sales account for almost 40% of Grupa Azoty Puławy’s revenue. The company’s products are sold on the most demanding global markets (mainly in Western Europe, Far East, and South America). Since 2005, Grupa Azoty Zakłady Azotowe Puławy S.A. has been listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange. The Company’s total workforce is approximately 3.4 thousand.  

Thyssenkrupp is a global leader in many areas of heavy industry (including the metallurgy, automotive, and shipbuilding industries), offering a wide range of services. It is present in 80 countries around the world. More than 155,000 employees at 800 thyssenkrupp companies generate revenue of EUR 40bn per year (data for the 2015/2016 financial year). Thyssenkrupp operations encompass two areas:

• Materials: manufacture of metallurgical products, distribution of materials, and services,
• Technologies: development of modern technologies used in various industries, including the fertilizer industry.

The thyssenkrupp AG companies operating in Poland provide services and make deliveries for such sectors as industrial and specialised construction, steel industry, and rail transport. In Gdańsk, thyssenkrupp has opened its Global Shared Services Center.