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Three Russian companies interested to invest in new nitrogen fertilizer plant in Hrodna

Three Russian companies have expressed an interest in investing in the construction of a new nitrogen fertilizer plant in Hrodna in a joint project with state-owned chemical company AAT Hrodna Azot, BelaPAN has learned.

The companies are Eurokhim, Gazprom Investproject and Akron.

In particular, Gazprom Investproject is said to have expressed readiness to finance the construction of such a plant and lease it to Hrodna Azot afterward.

The possibility of a link-up project involving Hrodna Azot and a Russian company has been discussed by Minsk and Moscow for months.

Speaking at in New Delhi in November 2012, Belarusian Prime Minister Mikhail Myasnikovich invited Indian business circles to participate in the privatization of Hrodna Azot. "It is possible there to manufacture products for your market, using nitrogen, potash and phosphate fertilizers," he said.

In January 2013, Alyaksandr Lukashenka proposed that a new plant could be built at Hrodna Azot, and that it could be built together with the Russians and the Indians.

Indian Ambassador Manoj Bharti said earlier this month that India was no longer interested to invest in Hrodna Azot.

A high-level Indian delegation visited Belarus in January 2013 to discuss, among other issues, investment in Hrodna Azot, but India's interest "has finished" as Belarus has decided to draw Russian capital into the project, he explained.