Category: Europe

Acron’s fertilizer complex at Veliky Novgorod was reported to be on fire following a Ukrainian drone strike on December 10th. At least five explosions were reported at the facility, according to Ukrainian media. Novgorod Governor Alexander Dronov confirmed the attack and said the air defence system intercepted 19 drones over the region. Earlier, on December 4, Ukrainian drones struck the Nevinnomyssk Azot plant in Russia’s Stavropol region, a major facility that produces over 1 million t/a of ammonia and 1.4 million t/a of ammonium nitrate annually.

KBR has been awarded a technology and engineering contract by IGNIS for a new green ammonia facility in A Coruña, Spain. Under the terms of the contract, KBR will provide proprietary engineering design and pre-FEED engineering services for a 200,000 t/a green ammonia plant. The facility will use renewable energy to produce green hydrogen, which will be converted to green ammonia.

NextChem has signed a binding agreement to acquire the entire share capital of Ballestra Group, a global leader in the licensing, design and engineering of processing plants, as well as the supply of proprietary technologies and equipment for the chemical industry. Founded in 1960 and headquartered in Milan, Ballestra is the holding of a group of companies comprising BUSS ChemTech AG (Switzerland) and Ballestra Engineering and Projects Pvt. Ltd (India). It operates in over 120 countries with approximately 450 employees and offices in Europe and Asia. NextChem says that the acquisition will bring intellectual property, advanced proprietary technologies and distinctive engineering competences to its value proposition in specialty chemicals, including fluorine derivatives for lithium-ion batteries and for the metals and mining industries. This acquisition will also create cross-selling opportunities with Tecnimont, Maire Group’s integrated engineering and construction services business unit, in relation to energy transition and material transformation projects. The enterprise value is €108.3 million, resulting in a purchase price of approximately €126.5 million, subject to adjustments at closing, which is expected in the first half of 2026.

NEXTCHEM has signed a binding agreement to acquire Ballestra Group for around €126.5 million. The announcement was made by Maire – Nextchem’s parent company – on 24th December.

Prayon has officially opened a new sodium hexametaphosphate (SHMP) production unit at its Engis complex in Belgium. The €30 million investment is designed to strengthen the company’s position in the food and technical phosphates market.

Trade body Fertilizers Europe says the EU’s new carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM) package “will significantly weaken the mechanism and prevent it from delivering on its promises”.

Barents Blue AS has announced Proton Ventures as a new partner in the Barents Clean Ammonia Project (project formerly known as the Barents Blue project). Barents Blue says that the Dutch engineering and project development company, a pioneer in the clean ammonia industry, “will bring significant resources and industry expertise to the project and the value chain for clean ammonia, important for the realisation of Europe’s largest clean ammonia production plant located in Finnmark, Northern Norway”.

Uralchem JSC and three Indian fertiliser companies; Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilizers Ltd (RCF), National Fertilizers Ltd (NFL), and Indian Potash Ltd (IPL) have signed a memorandum of understanding to set up a joint venture to construct a urea plant in Russia. The signing ceremony was held in New Delhi in December during a state visit by Russian president Vladimir Putin to India.

Europe is likely to become an increasing ammonia importer over the coming years as low global ammonia prices and high European gas prices squeeze producer margins, but CBAM remains a wild card.

A consortium including Danish companies Skovgaard Energy, Topsoe and Vestas says that it has reached an important milestone with the startup of operations in what they describe as the world’s first-of-its-kind green ammonia plant. The plant, owned by Skovgaard Energy and located in Ramme Denmark, is a demonstrator for a dynamic approach to green ammonia production, which means that the plant will adapt to the inherent fluctuations in power output from the renewable power sources in integration with the plant’s electrolysis and ammonia synthesis loop. This, say the developers, will ensure optimal production and improve the cost-effectiveness of green ammonia, ensuring less need for costly storage solutions of green hydrogen or renewable power. Production capacity is 5,000 t/a of green ammonia, with an associated CO2 reduction of 9,600 t/a. The partnership has received euro 11 million in funding from the Danish Energy Technology Development and Demonstration Program (EUDP).