15 October 2021

Acron Group’s Commercial Output Up 6% in 9M 2021

 

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

Product, ‘000 t9M 20219M 2020YOY, %
MINERAL FERTILISERS
Ammonia2,1642,0714.5
Incl. in-house consumption2,1131,980 
Nitrogen fertilisers, including3,7503,6343.2
Incl. in-house consumption689562 
AN1,6381,826-10.3
Incl. in-house consumption232170 
Urea1,05088718.4
Incl. in-house consumption456391 
        Including prilled urea273381-28.5
        Incl. in-house consumption1511 
        Including granulated urea364145150.5
        Incl. in-house consumption2719 
UAN1,06192115.2
Complex fertilisers, including1,9451,74711.4
Incl. in-house consumption4027 
NPK1,7981,6638.1
Incl. in-house consumption4027 
Bulk blends1478475.4
Total commercial output for Mineral Fertilisers5,0174,8842.7
INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTS
Organic compounds, including36730719.3
Incl. in-house consumption191155 
Methanol817113.9
Incl. in-house consumption7157 
Formalin13211019.8
Incl. in-house consumption11796 
Urea-formaldehyde resins15412722.0
Incl. in-house consumption42 
Non-organic compounds, including:89075717.5
Low-density and technical-grade AN36824649.3
Industrial urea1209231.4
Calcium carbonate353373-5.4
Liquid carbon dioxide44417.6
Argon55-3.7
Total commercial output

for Industrial Products		1,06690917.2
PHOSPHATE INPUTS
Apatite concentrate93684810.3
Incl. in-house consumption704684 
Total commercial output

for Apatite Concentrate		23216441.4
TOTAL COMMERCIAL OUTPUT6,3155,9576.0

Note: Commercial output is output less in-house consumption.

Comments from Alexander Popov, Chairman of Acron’s Board of Directors:

 

‘In 9M 2021, Acron Group set a new output record. In the reporting period, the Group produced 6,315,000 tonnes of commercial products, up 6% year-on-year. Mineral fertiliser output was up 3% to 5,017,000 tonnes.

‘The strong demand we are seeing as the global economy recovers from the COVID-19 crisis requires that we be as focused and efficient as possible. While some producers are experiencing difficulties with logistics and feedstock supply, Acron Group sees providing farmers with fertilisers as the key objective for the entire system of food production.

‘In this context, the Urea-6+ project, which significantly boosted our output of this world’s most popular fertiliser, appears to be perfectly aligned with the market’s needs. Since August, the unit has been operating at increased capacity, and the results are visible, with output of agricultural urea up 18% year-on-year. It is important for us that the project is in line with Acron’s ESG principles: the upgraded operations include a cutting-edge unit for wastewater fine treatment, which significantly reduces our environmental impact. And because we use СО2 to produce urea, the Urea-6+ project helps decrease our carbon dioxide emissions by more than 350,000 tonnes per annum.

‘Demand is strong in the industrial segment as well. The Group boosted its output of industrial products by 17% to 1,066,000 tonnes. Apatite concentrate output increased 10% to 936,000 tonnes.

‘Prices continue to head upward, but major Russian fertiliser producers froze their key fertiliser prices for domestic farmers in July 2021 through the end of the autumn agricultural season. In October, the voluntary price freeze was extended through the end of 2021’.

Market Trends

In Q3 2021, global urea prices continued to climb. The FOB Baltic price approached USD 600 by the end of the quarter, reaching in October a post-2008 high of USD 700. This pricing trend was fuelled by Chinese government actions limiting urea exports, an energy crisis in Europe that led several producers to suspend operations, high grain prices, recovering demand for industrial urea, and active fertiliser purchases by India and Brazil.

In early October, the FOB Baltic price of AN hit USD 450, another post-2008 record. UAN prices set a historical record of USD 600. These upward price trends were supported by higher urea prices, which serve as a benchmark for other nitrogen fertilisers.

NPK prices were on the rise as well in Q3 2021, supported by a similar pricing trend for the basic product basket (urea, DAP, and potassium chloride). The NPK 16-16-16 premium over the basic product basket was 15%.

 

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

 Q3 2021Q2 2021Q3 2020Q3 2021 /

Q2 2021

Change		Q3 2021 /

Q3 2020

Change
NPK 16-16-1642535325320%68%
AN30924516226%91%
UAN30625011422%168%
Urea44535923124%93%
Ammonia57846218625%210%



Media Contacts

Sergey Dorofeev

Anastasiya Gromova

Tatiana Smirnova

Public Relations

Phone: +7 (495) 777-08-65 (ext. 5196)

Investor Contacts

Ilya Popov

Sergey Smirnov

Strategy and Investor Relations

Phone: +7 (495) 745-77-45 (ext. 5252)

 

 

Background Information

Acron Group is a leading vertically integrated mineral fertiliser producer in Russia and globally, with chemical production facilities in Veliky Novgorod (Acron) and Smolensk region (Dorogobuzh). The Group owns and operates a phosphate mine in Murmansk region (North-Western Phosphorous Company, NWPC) and is implementing a potash development project in Perm Krai (Verkhnekamsk Potash Company, VPC). It owns transportation and logistics infrastructure, including three Baltic seaport terminals and distribution networks in Russia and China. Acron subsidiary North Atlantic Potash Inc. (NAP) holds mining leases and an exploration permit for ten parcels of the potassium salt deposit at Prairie Evaporite, Saskatchewan, Canada. Acron also holds a minority stake (19.8%) in Polish Grupa Azoty S.A., one of the largest chemical producers in Europe.

In 2020, the Group sold 7.8 million tonnes of its main products to 74 countries, with Russia, Brazil, Europe, and the United States as key markets.

 

In 2020, the Group posted consolidated IFRS revenue of RUB 119,864 million (USD 1,661 million), with EBITDA of RUB 35,311 million (USD 489 million). Acron’s shares are traded on the Moscow Exchange, and its global depositary receipts are traded at the London Stock Exchange (ticker AKRN). Acron employs over 11,000 people.

 

For more information about Acron Group, please visit www.acron.ru/en.


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