Uralkali potash output down 16% in 2012
MOSCOW. Jan 14 (Interfax) - Fertilizer-maker Uralkali produced 9.12 million tonnes of potassium chloride in 2012, 16% less than in 2011, a company statement says.
"Despite a reduction of the load on Uralkali capacity at the start and end of the year, the average load in 2012 was around 80%, which made it possible to fully satisfy demand on the part of our buyers and to implement in full measures projects for the planned repair and modernization of capacity. So, in 2012 we completed the expansion of the ore-division Berezniki-4, thanks to which company production capacity increased by the end of the year from 11.5 to 13 million tonnes of potassium chloride per year," the statement quotes company General Director Vladislav Baumgertner as saying.
Last October, Uralkali's Marketing and Sales Director Oleg Petrov said the company, in light of the unfavorable situation on several markets, would be reducing potash production in the fourth quarter by 700,000 tonnes. As a result, Uralkali revised its production forecast for last year. "Our production plan for 2012 was 10 million tonnes. At the present time, we assume production will amount to 9.3 million tonnes," Petrov said.
The company announced the completion of its unification with Silvinit in June of 2011. Uralkali does roughly 20% of the world's potash production.