Kemira closes Rotterdam unit
Kemira closes Rotterdam unit
FERTILISER giant Kemira is to close its production unit near Rotterdam in the Netherlands.
The ammonia plant produces about 1m tonnes of fertiliser a year, mainly calcium ammonium nitrate urea and urea ammonium nitrate.
The closure, which will mean about 220 job losses later this year, is a significant attempt by Kemira towards removing the 3m tonne excess nitrate mountain in Europe.
Taken with closures already announced by other companies including Hydro, excess production capacity should now be removed.
That will help push returns back up to what makers describe as profitable levels.
Only last week Hydro predicted ex-farm prices could return to spring 1997 highs within a year (Business, May 5).
Kemira employees in Britain are awaiting details of the move, but the fertiliser factory at Ince, near Chester, is expected to remain in production. *