Back to the previous shipment volumes

The volumes of mineral fertilizer shipment by rail transport are expected to gradually recover by the end of 2023. Industry experts note that this result will be achieved through commissioning the relevant infrastructure, partial reorientation of export supplies to new markets as well as stimulation of domestic consumption.

The operational results of the 1^st quarter of 2023 indicate that chemical and mineral fertilizer shipment volumes (excluding containerized shipments) across the holding company’s network decreased by 4.9% (- 0.8 million tons) to 15.2 million tons against the same period last year, including export - by 15.4% (- 1.2 million tons) to 6.6 million tons, Konstantin Baranov, the head of the marketing department of the Center for Corporate Transport Service of Russian Railways, told 1520 International.

According to Pavel Ivankin, president of the National Research Center for Transportation and Infrastructure, fertilizer shipments in Russian ports reflect the capacities that are available today. 

“All of the plans that shippers present today are coordinated taking into account the fact that not all transloading points today are located in the territory of Russia and friendly countries,” the expert noted.

At the same time, the commissioning of an ammonia and mineral fertilizer transloading facility in the port of Taman (Krasnodar Krai), which is currently under construction, may help increase the mineral fertilizer supply volumes. The terminal with a throughput of 5 million tons per year will be built by Tolyattiazot PJSC (TOAZ) by 2025. The Russian government has included this project of federal importance in the national transportation territorial planning roadmap. Its key element will be a deep water terminal for the transportation of fertilizers for agricultural needs.

“The project provides for the construction of a terminal adjacent to the Russian Railways infrastructure at Vyshestebliyevskaya station of the North Caucasus Railway that will ensure, starting from 2024, the delivery to the port of Taman of up to 2 million tons of ammonia per year, and from the end of 2025 - up to 5 million tons of ammonia and urea (mineral fertilizer – editor’s note) per year”, - he stressed. 

According to Konstantin Baranov, this investment project is especially relevant in view of the sanctions imposed by several unfriendly countries on the Uralchem group and the suspension of ammonia transportation via the Togliatti-Odessa pipeline in the spring of 2022.

Pavel Ivankin emphasizes that the terminal under construction in the port of Taman will increase export supplies of mineral fertilizers to Eastern and Southern countries, as well as to other countries.

One should also understand that not only the commissioning of the facility is important, but also providing the possibility for ships to pass under the Crimean bridge, he notes. Today cargo owners are actively discussing this issue with the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation.

"The waiting time for passage under the bridge should be taken into account. Accordingly, it will affect the schedule of ships and the delivery of goods to customers," - said Pavel Ivankin.

The expert stressed that in addition to the ports of the Azov-Black Sea basin, there are options for exporting fertilizers and ammonia through terminals of the Russian Northwest.

In his opinion, after the launch of the Taman terminal, the South and North-West of Russia will become the main destinations for ammonia and fertilizer export shipments. This is due to the fact that terminals in these regions are duly equipped for handling hazardous cargoes.

Olga Shelkova