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Acron Group’s Output Up 7% in Q1 2018

  Group’s Consolidated Output (including operating results for Acron, Dorogobuzh and North-Western Phosphorous Company)

Mineral fertilisers

Product, '000 t Q1 2018 Q1 2017 YOY, %
Ammonia 667 648 2.8
Incl. in-house consumption 558 492
Nitrogen fertilisers 1,064 976 9.0
Incl. in-house consumption 271 271
AN 499 475 5.0
Incl. in-house consumption 135 142
Urea* 249 204 22.5
Incl. in-house consumption 136 129
UAN 316 297 6.3
Complex fertilisers: 699 674 3.7
Incl. in-house consumption 16 17
NPK 586 541 8.4
Incl. in-house consumption 16 17
Bulk blends 113 133 4.5
Total commercial output for Mineral Fertilisers 1,584 1,518 4.5

Industrial products

Product, '000 t Q1 2018 Q1 2017 YOY, %
Organic Synthesis Products 115 111 3.3
Incl. in-house consumption 58 55
Methanol 26 25 7.2
Incl. in-house consumption 21 20
Formalin 4241 2.3
Incl. in-house consumption 36 35
Urea-formaldehyde resins 47 46
Incl. in-house consumption 199 193 2.8
Non-organic compounds 41 40 1.9
Low-density and technical-grade ammonium nitrate 27 15 84.6
Industrial urea* 119 126 -5.8
Calcium carbonate 10 11 -4.9
Liquid carbon dioxide 2 1 15.6
Argon 256 249 2.7
Total commercial output for Industrial Products 115 111 3.3

Phosphate inputs

Product, '000 t Q1 2018 Q1 2017 YOY, %
Apatite concentrate 312 226 38.1
Incl. in-house consumption 253 220
Total commercial output for Apatite Concentrate 59 5
TOTAL COMMERCIAL OUTPUT

1,900 1,773 7.1

Note:

Commercial output is output less in-house consumption.

* Q1 2017 data is adjusted due to reclassification of a part of urea as an industrial urea

Chairman of Acron’s Board of Directors Alexander Popov commented on the results:

“In Q1 2018, commercial products output increased 7% year-on-year to 1.9 million tonnes, setting yet another record. Mineral fertiliser output was up 4.5% to 1.6 million tonnes. 

“The Group’s facilities increased ammonia output 3%. Output at the new Ammonia-4 unit was 208,000 tonnes, up 5% year-on-year. In 2017, the unit reached its capacity of 2,300 tonnes per day, and we plan to increase that to 2,500 tonnes per day following further improvements. Additionally, the total ammonia output growth at the Group's sites made it possible to increase production of nitrogen and complex fertilisers.  

“In 2017, Acron’s site in Veliky Novgorod implemented a number of measures to modernise its urea units, and that boosted output in Q1 2018 to 249,000 tonnes, up 22% year-on-year. Further expansion in the works: our Veliky Novgorod site is building a sixth urea unit with capacity of 600 tonnes per day. Once the new unit is launched this autumn, total urea capacity will increase to 3,650 tonnes per day. There was also a significant increase in high-quality industrial urea production (including for AdBlue), which was up 85% to 27,000 tonnes.

“Acron Group’s complex fertiliser production was up 4% year-on-year. NPK output was up 8% due to a project implemented in 2017 that increased capacity at the two Veliky Novgorod-based NPK units. Blends production at the Dorogobuzh site was down 15% to 113,000 tonnes. 

“In Q1 2018, apatite concentrate output was up 38% year-on-year, mainly due to decreased overburden operations at the open-pit mine compared to Q1 2017. Production at the underground mine is up: in the reporting period, 159,000 tonnes of ore were produced.” 

Market Trends

Following a slump in December 2017, urea prices recovered in Q1 2018 as seasonal demand picked up. In March, prices reached USD 230 FOB Baltics. It should be noted that the price of coal, which is the main feedstock for urea production in China, continues to grow, which makes most of that country’s producers uncompetitive in foreign markets at the current price level. As a result, China is expected to post a further decrease in capacity utilisation and lower exports, as its focus moves to the domestic market. These developments support global prices for urea.

AN prices were down as the premium decreased following the strong autumn season. At the same time, UAN was in high demand and its prices remained stable. 

In Q1 2018, NPK prices continued their climb that started in autumn 2017 due to an upward trend in potash and phosphate feedstock prices and strong seasonal demand. The premium over the product basket remained the same.

Average Indicative Prices, USD/t, FOB Baltic/Black Sea

Q4 2017 Q3 2017 Q4 2016 Q4 2017 / 
Q3 201
change
Q4 2017 / 
Q4 2016 
change
NPK 16-16-16 284 271 262 +4.6% +6.4%
AN 186 218 202 -14.6% -7.8%
UAN 162 162 158 0.0% +2.7%
Urea 224 239 237 -6.4% -5.5%
Ammonia 284 286 302 -0.7% -6.0%