Azerbaijan, Baku, Aug. 27 / Trend I.Khalilova E.Ismayilov /
The Asian countries and Turkey are considered as the potential market for urea, which will be produced at a nitrogen fertilizer and urea production plant of the State Oil Company of the Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR), Azerkimya reported. The new plant will be located in Azerkimya's area.
"Markets for the future sales were studied when developing the project. Today, the Asian markets record the greatest demand for these products. The Turkish market is also interesting for SOCAR," the company reported.
Based on the Azerbaijani leadership's instruction, SOCAR plans to construct and put into operation a new nitrogen fertilizer and urea production plant with a designed capacity of 2,000 tons per day.
The state budget will allocate funds to build the plant.
The urea plants are mainly constructed in the countries with large reserves of natural gas, as this production is based on natural gas. Azerbaijan also has significant gas reserves.
Urea is an environmentally friendly and the most common nitrogenous fertilizer. It is safe in terms of exploitation and does not threaten the health.
"The country's potential demand in urea is about 320,000-350,000 tons per year. The rest can be sent for export," Azerkimya reported.
SOCAR announced a tender on Aug.5 to select a main contractor on turnkey construction of a urea fertilizers plant in Sumgait. After summarizing the tender, SOCAR will sign a contract on the plant construction with the successful bidder.
The company's specialists studied experience of countries which have already built such fertilizer and urea plants. Particularly, they are widespread in the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia. While developing the project, the company's specialists have visited countries such as Egypt, Iran and Oman. The European, Japanese and American companies also can be named among the companies-licensors specializing in creating technologies in the urea production.
"Experience shows that the enterprises of urea production can recoup in about six or seven years," Azerkimya reported.
The project is also considered effective from the environmental aspects. Produced carbon dioxide is not emitted into the atmosphere, but instead is used as feedstock in the urea production.
A double-layer control is ensured in terms of environmental and safety under the SOCAR projects. The first level of control involves hard-line approach on these issues on the part of licensees. The second level imposes stringent requirements on environmental and technical safety. The whole system in the new project will be fully automated and meet the highest requirements.