Milestones

2011 The construction of facilities, open pit and entrance mine galleries at Oleniy Ruchey mine are in progress. The first objects at the construction site, including the main step-down substation, were commissioned.
Acron (Veliky Novgorod) completed the construction and assembling of the production equipment for the new Urea-1000 unit, and started preparing a project design and the construction site for the new Ammonia-4 unit.
VPC signed a general design contract with Belgorchimprom for the Talitsky mine. The 5.1 kilometre service road to the Talitsky construction site was built.
Acron Group adopted the Fair Work Programme to define its social support, environmental and public relations policies.
North Atlantic Potash sold eight potash permits to Yankuang Group Corporation Limited and signed a joint venture agreement with Rio Tinto on potash exploration and mine construction opportunities for another nine permits.
Acron placed two ten-year bond issues for a total of RUB 7.5 billion. Vladimir Kunitsky was appointed Acron and Dorogobuzh CEO.

2010 Acron Group began major financing of the Oleniy Ruchey mine. Foundations for most facilities at the site were completed, and construction began on the processing plant and ancillary facilities, open pit, tailing dump and interception drain to pass mountain water to Oleniy Ruchey and farther to Lake Kamarinoye. Komatsu mine equipment was purchased and put into operation, including excavators, bulldozers, loaders and 90-tonne heavy vehicles. A crushing and screening unit was purchased and a concrete mixer was commissioned to provide construction materials.
As part of the approved expansion and upgrade programme, Acron (Veliky Novgorod) continues work on a new urea plant. The facility brought on stream a methanol main fractional column and the first stage of a new above-ground methanol storage tank, completed the melamine warehouse, and started manufacturing a new product - melamine-urea-formaldehyde resin. Dorogobuzh completed the second stage of a technical upgrade to its ammonia unit, increasing daily capacity to 1,680 tonnes.
Acron Group finalised consolidation of its logistics assets under Balttrans, a single holding company.
Acron Group began making large NPK shipments to India. The Group intends to expand its footprint in one of the largest fertiliser markets and increase its NPK sales in India to 300-350 ktpa.
Moody's Investors Service assigned a credit rating to Acron.

2009 Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin visits the Veliky Novgorod production facility to hold a meeting on ways to develop the mineral fertiliser industry. As a result of the meeting, the government lifts export duties on nitrogen and complex fertilisers.
MICEX lists Acron’s second and third bond issues for a total amount of RUB 7 billion.
Fitch Ratings assigns Acron a credit rating.
Acron sells 21% stake in Sibneftegaz to ITERA.
AS BCT launches a 1 mn tpa ammonia transshipment complex in the Estonian port of Sillamäe. AS BCT is the second specialised ammonia storage and transshipment terminal on the Baltic Sea.
Acron Group increases its share in AS DBT to 100%.
Acron Group sets up in Switzerland a distribution company Agronova Europe AG to represent the Group in Europe.
Acron and Russian Agricaltural Bank sign an agreement to finance mineral fertiliser sales to the domestic agro-industrial complex 2009–2010.
NWPC, which holds a licence to develop the Oleniy Ruchey deposit in the Murmansk region, commissions the first unit of its future mining facility.
Standard&Poor’s puts Acron on its top ten list of the most transparent Russian companies in 2009.

2008 VPC, Acron’s subsidiary, wins licence to develop the Talitsky area at the Verkhnekamsk potassium and magnesium salts deposit, which has proven sylvinite reserves of 681 million tonnes.
Acron overhauls ammonia unit No. 2, bringing it to the first place in Russia in terms of efficiency of natural gas consumption (1,080 cubic meters per tonne) and second place in terms of ammonia output (1,670 tonnes per day).
Dorogobuzh finishes revamping its ammonia facility to reach a record output of 1,560 tonnes per day.
Hongri Acron revamps and replaces the filter in its phosphoric acid shop for the first time.
Acron’s Global Depositary Receipts (GDRs) are admitted to the Official List of the UK Listing Authority and to trading on the LSE. Acron’s shares are admitted to “B” quotation lists at MICEX and RTS.
The European Commission removes its anti-dumping duty on EU imports of Acron’s and Dorogobuzh’s AN within applicable quotas.
Acron establishes its own trading company, Agronova International Inc.
Agronova International Inc. acquires Chinese Beijing Yong Sheng Feng Agricultural Means of Production Co., Ltd., which is licenced to sell mineral fertilisers and other chemicals in China.
Acron acquires 50% interest in AS DBT port terminal facility .
AS BCT port facility commences shipping UAN produced by Acron.
NWPC receives positive finding from state expert review and the authorities' approval of the design for its Oleniy Ruchey apatite-nepheline ore mine. The company tests Oleniy Ruchey ore on pilot plant and produces test batches of apatite and nepheline concentrates.

2007 Acron launches UAN production with a capacity of 700,000 tonnes per year. One hundred tanks are specially acquired to transport UAN.
Reserve urea synthesis column No. 5 is commissioned to replace any of the existing synthesis facilities in the event of repairs.
Acron celebrates forty years since its founding.
Thanks to upgrades at the Dorogobuzh ammonia production facilities, overhauls will only be required every two years.
The second unit of the unified line at the weak nitric acid plant is upgraded and commissioned.
Hongri Acron increases its methanol capacity by 30%. The hydrochloric acid unit launches a new treatment facility.

2006 Acron opens formalin/urea-formaldehyde resins and amino resins facilities. The design capacity for the new facilities is 75,000 tonnes per year for the formalin/urea formaldehyde concentrate unit and 105,000 tonnes per year for the amino resin unit.
NWPC obtains subsoil licences to mine apatite-nepheline ore at Oleniy Ruchey and Partomchorr fields in the Murmansk region.

2005 The Group adopts a long-term investment programme through 2015.
Ammonia facility commissions Russia’s first computerised training simulator.
Dorogobuzh marks forty years since the launch of its first production facility. Acron consolidates 50.5% of its stock in Shandong Chemical Hongri Acron, Ltd., a complex fertiliser producer. Hongri Acron commissions a blended fertiliser unit with a capacity of 200,000 tonnes per year. Construction of a methanol production line with a capacity of 100,000 tonnes per year is commenced.

2004 Dorogobuzh's AN unit commissions a new bulk blended fertiliser facility with a capacity of 200,000 tonnes per year. Company starts shipping its products in big bags.
Acron launches new NP 32-6 facility for industrial production. The Group begins the construction of a 75,000 tonne per year formalin production unit and a 105,000 tonne per year urea-formaldehyde resins unit.

2003 Industrial production of low-density and technical-grade AN is launched.
Acron rebuilds ammonia synthesis reactor to increase its efficiency by 25%. For this technical solution, Acron receives the Science and Technology Prize of the Russian Government.
Acron acquires a 50% stake in Acron-Trans, a licenced railway operator.

2002 Dorogobuzh launches a new liquid carbon dioxide production unit.

2001 Acron commences production of dry blended fertilisers, a new product for the Group.
Det Norske Veritas certifies Acron quality management framework for compliance with ISO 9001-94 standards and issues a certificate for "Design, development and manufacture of chemical products at NPK and ammonia production facilities."
Acron receives a railway cargo carrier status.

2000 The Group launches industrial production of chlorine-free NPK. A-KANG trademark is registered in PRC for NPK fertilisers produced by Acron and Dorogobuzh and imported to China.

1999 Acron begins experimental production of chlorine-free NPK. Company hosts the first Russian Technical Meeting of the International Fertilizer Industry Association (IFA).

1998 Acron completes overhaul of two ammonia production units.

1997 Acron accomplishes overhaul of its methanol and urea-formaldehyde resins facilities. The enterprise wins Best Russian Company Award for Outstanding Efficiency in Using All Types of Resources in a competition held by the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Expert magazine.

1996 Acron starts building its distribution network in key Russian agricultural regions and creates a marketing group and research and development team.

1991–1995 Acron and Dorogobuzh are privatised. The large-scale restructuring and reconstruction of two companies’ business and management is completed. Acron and Dorogobuzh adopt the long-term reconstruction and upgrade programme and consolidated corporate governance system.

Acron

1982 Production of high-concentrated nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium fertiliser (NPK) is launched.
1977 AN production unit is commissioned.
1975–1979 Two large-tonnage ammonia production units are put on stream.
1973 Urea-formaldehyde resins production facility is commissioned.
1970 Urea production facility is launched.
1969 The first ammonia and liquid ammonia production facility is completed.
1967 Air-separation and methanol production facilities are commissioned.

Dorogobuzh

1984 Company starts producing high-concentrated nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium fertiliser (NPK).
1979–1980 AN production unit is commissioned.
1979 Large-tonnage ammonia production unit is launched.