In the first half of 2024, Acron increased production of granulated calcium nitrate (CN) in Veliky Novgorod by 29% year-on-year to 65,000 tonnes and set a record for monthly output, reaching 11,800 tonnes for the first time since the CN unit was commissioned in August 2022. Total CN production exceeded 187,000 tonnes. The high performance was the result of technical upgrades and measures to stabilise the production process. As part of the overhaul, the homogeniser, evaporation plant and drum granulator were upgraded, and several technical solutions were introduced to improve product quality. The increased capacity of the solvent extraction unit, which removes mineral particles from a CN solution at NPK Shop No. 1, also contributed to the higher output.
With the increased production, Acron has expanded its sales to new markets: the Company has been supplying CN to Egypt, Brazil, Mexico, South Africa, India and China since 2023, and to Peru, Morocco, Malaysia, Belarus and Kazakhstan since 2024, covering more than twenty countries in total. In addition, as part of its corporate strategy, Acron is continuously improving the quality of its shipping operations by introducing temperature and humidity control in its warehouses to prevent product loss and maintain quality.
‘Calcium nitrate is a premium water-soluble fertiliser that improves the fertility of a wide range of soils, crop yields and, as a result, farm efficiency’, said Alexander Popov, Chairman of Acron’s Board of Directors. ‘It has proven to be of high quality and is in demand by growers, who appreciate the benefits that CN offers in ensuring sustainable crop yields. The Company expects the use of CN to grow and will continue to increase its production by investing in flexible and technologically advanced processes’.
In addition to increasing the capacity of the existing CN unit from 100,000 to 135,000 tonnes per year, Acron Group is constructing a second CN unit. Following the comprehensive upgrades to the first unit and the commissioning of the new facility, the Company plans to boost its CN output by a factor of 2.5 to 270,000 tonnes per year. The project is expected to be completed in 2025 with a total investment of RUB 3.5 billion.