October 15, 2021 04:00 ET | Source: ACRON ACRON

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)

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’.

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

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.