Two Stamicarbon urea synthesis and granulation lines for EAGRIUM in Egypt

Egyptian Agrium Nitrogen Products Co. SAE (EAgrium) ¹⁾ will use Stamicarbon's proprietary urea synthesis and granulation processes for establishing a dual line plant at Damietta, Egypt. The ammonia process comes from Uhde GmbH, who also builds the plant, which will have a capacity of 1.3 million ton of urea per year. Both lines are due for commissioning in 2010.

The synthesis lines will be built using Safurex^®, a patented stainless steel specifically developed for the use in the high pressure synthesis sections of a urea plant. This section is prone to corrosion if air is not supplied to passivate the commonly used stainless steels. Safurex^® withstands such corrosion, even in absence of air. Safurex^® is also a stronger and therefore lighter weight construction steel than other commonly used steels.

The choice for Stamicarbon's fluid bed granulation process acknowledges the success of already three such lines operating in Egypt and Agrium's own experience with the same process in one of its Canadian plants. The heart of the granulation technology lies in the proprietary urea melt film spray nozzle. This leads to very low dust formation in the granulator and consequently to unparalleled long run times before needing to wash the granulator. There is also the possibility to economize on formaldehyde consumption, without compromizing any benchmark parameters of product quality.

Both Agrium and all current Egyptian urea producers have been longstanding customers of Stamicarbon. Stamicarbon feels very privileged to consolidate such relations by yet another project in Egypt.

Stamicarbon's urea Granulation technology has been licensed to:

2007	EAgrium	Egypt	2 x	2000 mtpd
2007	Novomoskovsk	Russia		2000 mtpd
2006	Grodno Azot	Belarus		1200 mtpd
2004	Egypt Helwan Fertilizers	Egypt		2000 mtpd
2003	Egyptian Fertilizer Company (EFC)	Egypt		2000 mtpd
2003	Alexandria Fertilizer Company (Alexfert)	Egypt		2000 mtpd
2003	Agrium Fort Nitrogen Operations	Canada	2 x	625 mtpd
1996	Grodno Azot	Belarus		280 mtpd

^{1) EAgrium is a joint venture of Canadian company Agrium, Egyptian companies EChem, EGAS and GASCO, and Saudi Arabian based Arab Petroleum Investments Corp.}