OSTCHEM Holding planning increase in ammophos production at Crimea Titan 2008

OSTCHEM Holding AG, comprising major chemical enterprises and companies in Ukraine, Germany, Estonia, Russia, Switzerland, Italy and Tajikistan, has resumed commercial production at the Ammophos unit of the CJSC Crimea Titan. With a view to increasing the production of mineral fertilizers the company has just completed an overhaul of the unit. Modern efficient equipment, installed at the unit, should allow OSTCHEM Holding to step up production of monoammonium phosphate 36% to 130,000 tons this year (compared to 95,600 tons in 2007).

The modernization and stage-by-stage overhaul of outdated equipment has been carried out within the framework of OSTCHEM Holding’s strategic program geared to upgrading titanium production. In the course of the work the vacuum evaporator was replaced which had been in operation for twice its guaranteed service life, the rotary vacuum filter was overhauled and pans and rollers replaced, the gas purification system improved and two additional storages built for wet-process phosphoric acid. Besides, a circulation pump has been installed in the Ammophos unit which should provide for an additional 10-15% increase in rock phosphorite production.

Consumers of Crimea Titan ammophos include agricultural enterprises, farms and NPK and fire fighting appliance producers.

On completing the start-up of operations at the renovated Ammophos unit Chairman of the Board of Crimea Titan Alexander Nechayev said:

«We are happy to report a significant increase in the capacity of the Ammophos unit which has come about as a results of a large-scale program of modernization and which has allowed us to make ammophos production one of the plant’s principal operations. Prior to the advent of OSTCHEM Holding the production of mineral fertilizers was largely static. This year is to see ammophos production increase 3.5-fold on the period before OSTCHEM Holding. Besides being inefficient, the obsolete equipment which had been in operation for over 30 years posed a potential threat to labor safety and the environment. This problem has now been resolved».