Tag Archives: fertilisers

Fire destroys chemical factory in Armenia

AUG. 29 2017 (The Conway Bulletin) — An explosion at a chemical manufacturing plant in Nairit, Armenia, ignited a fire that raged for at least two days. The chemicals plant has been on the verge of bankruptcy for several years, with management sacking two-thirds of the staff en mass in 2015. The plant is currently owned by Samvel Karapetyan, one of Armenia’s richest men, through his company Electric Networks of Armenia. It is unclear if anybody was hurt in the explosion and what caused it.

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(News report from Issue No. 342, published on Sept. 7 2017)

Turkmenistan opens tender for potash plant construction

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APRIL 17 2017 (The Conway Bulletin) — Turkmenistan opened a tender process to build a second potash plant, only a couple of weeks after opening the country’s first one. The move appears to be part of a drive aimed at reducing the country’s reliance on gas exports. The price of gas has collapsed since 2014, hitting Turkmenistan’s economy hard. Belarus designed and built the first potash plant but, despite pledges of loyalty and partnership, the contract to build the second plant appears to have been thrown open to all potential suitors.

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(News report from Issue No. 325, published on April 17 2017)

Turkmen president opens potash plant

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MARCH 30 2017 (The Conway Bulletin) — Turkmen president Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov officially opened a $1b Belarussian built potash plant which he hopes will help transform the country’s economy away from near total dependence on gas exports.

Commissioned in 2010 and delayed by a couple of years, the Garlyk potash plant has been held up as a shining example of a strong Belarus-Turkmenistan partnership.

For Belarussia, and Belarussian president Alexander Lukashenko was also at the officially opening of the plant, construction of the factory was a chance to show off its expertise and know-how. For Turkmenistan, it signalled a great push by Mr Berdymukhamedov to try to capture a slice of the lucrative fertiliser market in China and India.

At a series of meetings before and after the opening of the potash plant, Mr Berdymukhamedov and Mr Lukashenko reaffirmed trade and partnership commitments towards one another.

Mr Lukashenko also said that there had been talk of Belarus helping Turkmenistan develop its textile industries. Belarus is heavily industrialised but also retains a significant agricultural base, including one of the world’s biggest fertiliser producers.

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(News report from Issue No. 323, published on April 6 2017)

Fertiliser plant to open in Turkmenistan

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MARCH 22 2017 (The Conway Bulletin) — Turkmenistan will finally start operations at the Garlyk Mining and Processing plant in its north-eastern Lebap province, Turkmen media reported by quoting senior officials at Belgorkhimprom, the Belarusian constructor who has been building the site since 2009. Garlyk is a major potassium salt field and the plant is designed to produce fertilisers. Turkmen president Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov has said that he wants to diversify the country’s economy away from gas exports.

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(News report from Issue No. 322, published on March 27 2017)

Korea gives loan to Azerbaijan’s Socar

JAN. 17 2017 (The Conway Bulletin) — South Korea’s state Export-Import bank EximBank has given Azerbaijan’s Socar a $500m loan to build a carbamide plant in Sumgait near Baku. Carbamide, also known as urea, is a chemical used either as a fertiliser or in the plastics industry. South Korea will view the loan as a way of extending relations between the two countries. The EximBank loan covers around two- third of the cost of the plant which will come online in 2018. South Korea’s Samsung Engineering is the main contractor.

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(News report from Issue No. 313, published on Jan. 20 2017)f

Korea gives loan to Azerbaijan’s Socar

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(News report from Issue No. 313, published on Jan. 20 2017)f

Tajikistan sells fertiliser producer to China

DEC. 14 2016 (The Conway Bulletin) — The Tajik parliament ratified an earlier agreement on the sale of Tajik Azot, a fertiliser producer, to China’s Henan Zhong Holding. The Chinese side, which will hold a 51% stake, pledged a $360m investment to modernise the plant. The Tajik government will retain 30% of the profits. In 2014, the government seized Tajik Azot, previously owned by Ukrainian businessman Dmitro Firtash, after Firtash was arrested in Vienna. China has extended its influence over Tajik business this year.

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(News report from Issue No. 309, published on Dec. 16 2016)f

EuroChem to increase production in Kazakhstan

OCT. 4 2016 (The Conway Bulletin) – Switzerland-based fertiliser producer EuroChem said it would increase investment in its phosphate mine in southern Kazakhstan to try to drive up production. EuroChem produces 640,000 tonnes of phosphate rock annually at its Zhambyl mine. It wants to more than double this.

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(News report from Issue No. 299, published on Oct. 7 2016)

Chinese company buys Tajik fertiliser plant

SEPT. 7 2016 (The Conway Bulletin) — The Tajik government sold a 50% stake in Tajik Azot, a fertiliser producer, to China’s Henan Zhong Holding, a chemical company. Under the deal, the Chinese company pledged to invest $360m to modernise and operate the plant, giving Tajikistan’s economy a boost. In 2014, the government seized Tajik Azot, previously owned by Ukrainian businessman Dmitro Firtash, after Firtash was arrested in Vienna.

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(News report from Issue No. 295, published on Sept. 9 2016)

Japanese-Turkish consortium completes chemical factory in Turkmenistan

JULY 8 2016 (The Conway Bulletin) — A Japanese-Turkish consortium said it completed construction at a petrochemical plant in Turkmenistan’s north-eastern Lebap province. Japan’s Mitsui Engineering Shipbuilding, Sojitz Corporation and Turkey’s Renaissance Holding completed the plant, which will have an annual production capacity of 500,000 tonnes of sulphuric acid, used for fertilisers, detergents and synthetic fibres. Most of the plant’s production is earmarked for exports.

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(News report from Issue No. 289, published on July 15 2016)