Nitrogenous Fertilisers

Production
An increase in the production of nitrogenous fertilisers in Poland and the Czech Republic resulted from the continued boom in agriculture and high grain prices. Systematic development of the biofuel market in both countries contributed to an increase in rape cultivation in 2007 and an increase in demand for ammonium nitrate in Poland and ammonium sulphate in the Czech Republic. It is likely that as the biofuel market develops and rape sowing increases, ammonium nitrate and ammonium sulphate will belong to the group of fertilisers with the highest growth potential.

Market Shares
In the fertilising season of 2006/2007, the share of ANWIL SA in the domestic market for nitrogenous fertilisers amounted to 20.4 percent (as per nitrogen), which is a decrease of 0.6 percent in comparison to 2006. Spolana, with its nominal production capacity of approximately 210 thousand tonnes annually, is not a signifi cant fertiliser producer in the Czech Republic; the Company provides approximately 38 percent of its production to the local market.

Investments
The most important investment in 2007 in the area of fertiliser production was completion of the construction
and acceptance for use of the catalytic nitrogen oxide reduction installation in the nitric acid production plant in Włocławek. Owing to the installation, the whole complex producing nitrogenous fertilisers meets the BAT (Best Available Techniques) requirements.