Fertiliser business Nitrogénművek

FERTILISER BUSINESS

In the past decade Nitrogénművek Zrt has become the leading nitrogenous fertiliser manufacturer in Hungary. The company’s ongoing success and rapid development is predominantly down to its cautious investment planning and efficiency focused operational policy. Edina Beale reports.

Since its establishment in 1991, Nitrogénművek Zrt has always put special emphasis on modern technologies and has continuously invested in new facilities in Pétfürdő to meet the highest requirements of the fertiliser market. Most recently, the company has again made significant investments into improving quality and increasing capacity.

Increased output

Based on the design of the American company Kellogg Braun & Root, the expansion of the ammonia plant started in 2011, and as a result of this the company went from an output of 1200 to 1400 tonnes per day in the primary reformer section. In mid-2012, €10 million was invested into expanding the capacity of the reformer facilities.

In October 2015 the company implemented a major investment plan – worth €35 million – which is currently being carried out. Thanks to these investments Nitrogénművek Zrt is now operating one of the most modern ammonia plants in the region. Apart from greater output, the plant’s environmental and safety features have vastly improved and energy consumption has been reduced by about 3 per cent.

The capacity of the nitric acid plant has been increased in two phases; based on the design of the French Grande Paroisse, the plant’s output

increased from 1600 to 1800 tonnes per day. As a result of this investment, the efficiency of the plant has also improved greatly. It is now one of the most modern nitric acid plants in the world.

New production plants

To stay in line with the increased production of ammonia and nitric acid products, the company began to construct a brand new production plant to manufacture granulated fertiliser. The development of this latest facility was carried out by the German Thyssen Krupp Industrial Solution (previously Uhde). The new plant will be able to manufacture alternatively 2000 tonnes per day CAN (calcium ammonium nitrate) or 1500 tonnes per day ammonium nitrate. The new plant will meet the highest standards in terms of environmental, product quality and technology aspects. The fertiliser plant will be equipped with a brand new packaging facility, and the total costs of investment will reach €60 million.

In order to further increase the production of nitrate fertiliser products, a new 1150 tonnes-per-day capacity nitric acid plant is required. This construction project began at the beginning of 2015 and is also being carried out by Thyssen Krupp Industrial Solutions. Together with the infrastructural investments, it is estimated that the cost of this investment will reach €80 million.

Self-sufficient energy operation

Alongside the technological investments mentioned above, Nitrogénművek Zrt has been continuously modernising its energy systems to achieve efficiency. In the past 10 years Nitrogénművek

The meeting place for world-class expertise

OT INDUSTRIES is a Hungary based group of companies providing unique and complex solutions for the energy industry, with services including: high-quality project management; engineering; manufacturing; and procurement and construction services for the chemical, petrochemical, O&G and energy industries.

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Registered O ce: 44 Galvani str., Budapest, H-1117 Hungary Phone: +36 1 453 6300 Fax: +36 1 453 6433 E-mail: otindustries@otindustries.hu Web: www.otindustries.eu

ACE Apparatebau construction & engineering GmbH Highest Pressure - Highest Quality

For decades, the team of ACE Apparatebau construction & engineering GmbH has been developing special solutions for industrial equipment, which are recognized worldwide. In the factory in Lieboch, ACE is able to produce apparatuses with pressures up to 750 bar, weights up to 600 tons and diameters up to 5.4 m in one piece. One of ACE’s premises is located directly at the river Danube so that hassle-free loading of up to 600 tons onto the ship is possible.

The product range includes all different kinds of pressure vessels, heat exchangers, columns, reactors and special products such as FCC components. ACE is also a competent and confident partner when it comes to plant shut downs and revamps. The diversified business activities and the fl exibility of ACE’s employees permit a short-term project realization.

ACE’s equipment has primarily applications in the petrochemical and chemical industry as well as in refineries and the ammonia/fertilizer industry.

Through quality assurance with state-of-the-art test equipment, performance that meets all quality guidelines worldwide, planning and carrying out of special transportation, on-site installation and assembling of units manufactured by ACE as well as development of facilities and components in cooperation with renowned engineers’ offi ces, ACE strengthens its position worldwide as a reliable partner regarding special knowledge, perfection and fl exibility in industrial apparatus and vessel construction.

ACE is part of the versatile Christof Group and the apparatus construction company group JCA (J. Christof Apparatebau Beteiligungs GmbH), which consists of three apparatus construction companies, all located in Austria.

Nitrogénművek Zrt. has been a client of JCA for decades and now realized a further project with ACE. Its price-performance-ratio let ACE win the contract against international competitors. The scope of supply of this project comprised a Methanator Feed Preheater, a Methanator Effl uent BFW Heater, a Syngas Compressor Intercooler, a Methanator Effluent Trim Cooler, a Synthesis Gas Chiller, a Mixed Feed Coil and a Steam Air Coil.

Design calculation and detail engineering were included in the package. One of the major challenges was the short delivery time. In the course of the project it was necessary to act fl exibly and to fi nd improved solutions together with Nitrogénművek. The key to success were the continuous meetings also on site in order to fi nd and realize suitable solutions for open issues in time.

Hans-Thalhammer-Str. 18 8501 Lieboch, Austria P: +43 3136 63600 0 F: +43 3136 63600 4600 M: ace.office@christof-group.com

Zrt has built up a power generating capacity of nearly 4 MW in order to rationalise its energy consumption. The latest development started in 2014, and it involved the implementation of a power generating unit driven by a 24 MW steam expansion and related infrastructure. The €15 million investment is expected to be completed by the middle of 2016 and as a result of this the company’s current electricity consumption will be almost self-sufficient.

New activities

Besides technological and capacity investments, the company has been focusing on expanding its activities. Since 2014 it has been supplying seed and agricultural products and since the beginning of this year a new segment was added to its trading activities; the sale of pesticides. Moreover, recently Nitrogénművek Zrt has been offering transportation services through its own fleet of trucks to improve customer service. Currently two thirds of production is distributed in Hungary and the rest is exported to other countries including Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Italy, Romania and Poland. The company has also set up sales subsidiaries in Slovakia, Romania, Serbia, Germany, Italy and Poland.

Growing prospects

Today Nitrogénművek Zrt employs nearly 670 staff but its subsidiaries provide jobs for a further 80 people. The company achieved a turnover of 130 billion HUF in 2014 and is owned by the family enterprise Bige Holding.

The environmental impact of the company’s activities has been gradually reduced and the production plants now meet the highest world standards whilst energy efficiency has been continuously improving. As a result of this, the company’s products are competitive not only in the domestic but also in the export markets.

Managing director István Blazsek reveals the reasons for the company’s success: “The most fundamental tools to maintain our competitiveness are: efficient market research, careful operations and good quality maintenance, efficient technological solutions and well thought out investment policies.

“According to the forecast of Fertilisers Europe, agricultural production and fertiliser usage in central and eastern Europe is estimated to steadily expand in the next few decades. This will enable us to grow in size and in capacity too. Nitrogénművek Zrt will have a profitable future if we maintain our focus on quality when implementing our investments.” n