Acron and Haldor Topsoe complete the ammonia unit revamp project to increase the capacity up to 2500 MTPD

• Launched in 2016, Acron PJSC’s (Acron) Ammonia-4 plant is now working with a capacity of over 2500 metric tons per day (MTPD) after a revamp and successfully passed guarantee test runs
• The project was delivered by the team of Acron engineers and Topsoe specialists working hundreds of miles apart.
• This has become the first heat exchange reformer (HTER) reactor put into operation in the FSU region.

Photo: Acron

Acron, one of the world’s largest producers of compound fertilizers based in Russia, and Haldor Topsoe completed the ammonia unit revamp project and successfully passed guarantee test runs to confirm the capacity of 2500 MTPD of ammonia.

Ammonia-4 plant operated by Acron company is one of the largest ammonia units in Europe. It’s a major investment project of Acron’s site in Novgorod city, and it was the first ammonia plant built by Russian specialists without support from foreign workforce. The plant was commissioned in 2016, total investment reached 500M USD. Acron moved beyond and made every effort to increase its capacity and in late 2017, it was decided to revamp the plant and reach 2,500 MTPD.

Topsoe specialists developed a project that involved another HTER, changes to the CO2 Removal Section, and other modifications.  

Despite the obstacles and travel restrictions seen in 2020, the team of Acron engineers and Topsoe specialists working hundreds of miles apart, enabled the revamp of Ammonia-4, and after a successful overhaul in November 2020, the plant reached the capacity of over 2,500 MTPD.

”Haldor Topsoe and Acron have been in a successful partnership for quite a while and the revamp project, that delivered in November 2020, marked another milestone in our cooperation. We believe our companies’ partnership will develop further for the benefit of both companies,” said Peter Vang Christensen, Managing Director of Haldor Topsoe’s Moscow office.

Aleksandr Popov, Chairman of the board of Acron, said: “boosting the Ammonia-4 plant is an important project of Acron Group’s investment program. Increasing its capacity will allow to sufficiently increase production of nitrogenous and compound fertilizers on our Novgorod site.”

Remarkably, this Reactor has become the first HTER put into operation within the FSU region.

About Acron Group
Acron Group is a leading vertically integrated mineral fertiliser producer in Russia and globally, with chemical production facilities in Veliky Novgorod (Acron) and the Smolensk region (Dorogobuzh). The Group owns and operates a phosphate mine in Murmansk region (North-Western Phosphorous Company, NWPC) and is implementing a potash development project in Perm Krai (Verkhnekamsk Potash Company, VPC). It owns transportation and logistics infrastructure, including three Baltic port terminals and distribution networks in Russia and China. Acron’s subsidiary, North Atlantic Potash Inc. (NAP), holds mining leases and an exploration permit for ten parcels of the potassium salt deposit at Prairie Evaporite, Saskatchewan, Canada. Acron also holds a minority stake (19.8%) in Polish Grupa Azoty, one of the largest chemical producers in Europe.

In 2020, the Group sold 7.8 million tons of core products to 74 countries, with Russia, Brazil, Europe and the United States as key markets. In 2020, the Group posted consolidated IFRS revenue of RUB 119,864 million (USD 1,661 million) and net profit of RUB 35,311 million (USD 489 million). Acron’s shares are on the quotation list of the Moscow Exchange and its global depositary receipts are traded at the London Stock Exchange (ticker AKRN). Acron employs over 11,000 people.
For more details, please see www.acron.ru

More information
Ulrik Frøhlke, Media Relations Manager
Phone: +45 27 77 99 68
Mail: ulfr@topsoe.com

About Topsoe
Haldor Topsoe is a global leader in supply of catalysts, technology, and services to the chemical and refining industries. Topsoe aims to be the global leader within carbon emission reduction technologies by 2024. By perfecting chemistry for a better world, we enable our customers to succeed in the transition towards renewable energy. Topsoe is headquartered in Denmark and serves customers around the globe. In 2020, our revenue was approximately DKK 6.2 billion, and we employ around 2,100 employees. www.topsoe.com