Akcinė bendrovė "Achema"

Akcinė bendrovė "Achema" (AB "Achema") is the largest nitrogen fertilizer manufacturer in the Baltic States, operating a major chemical complex in Jonava, Lithuania. The company produces ammonia and downstream nitrogen-based products for agricultural and industrial uses, and is a cornerstone enterprise within the Lithuanian industrial sector. AB "Achema" is a key subsidiary of the Lithuanian industrial holding Achemos grupė AB.

Company Overview

Legal name: Akcinė bendrovė "Achema"

Founded (industrial operations): 1963 (as the Jonava nitrogen fertilizer complex, historically known as "Azotas")

Incorporated as AB: mid-1990s during Lithuania’s privatization era (AB "Achema" formation widely cited around 1995)

Headquarters: Jonava district, Lithuania (industrial complex in Jonalaukio village, Ruklos eldership)

Sector: Chemicals (nitrogen fertilizers and industrial chemical products)

Legal Information

Įmonės kodas (company registration code): Not confirmed in this profile. The official code is maintained by the Lithuanian Register of Legal Entities (Registrų centras) and is typically published on the company’s website and official registry. Please verify via registrų-centras.lt or the company’s legal disclosures.

PVM kodas (VAT code): Not confirmed in this profile. Please verify via the Lithuanian State Tax Inspectorate (VMI) or the company’s official website.

Company type: Akcinė bendrovė (AB)

Official website: https://www.achema.lt/

General email: Commonly referenced public inboxes include info@achema.lt; contact channels and departmental emails are listed via the company’s website under “Kontaktai” (please verify current addresses on the site).

Registered office address: Jonalaukio k., Ruklos sen., Jonavos r. sav., Lithuania (exact street/postal code details should be confirmed against the company’s latest legal disclosures and Registrų centras)

Main phone (switchboard): Not publicly confirmed in this profile; consult the “Kontaktai” page on achema.lt for the latest telephone numbers.

Business Operations

Main products: Ammonia (NH3), urea (carbamide), ammonium nitrate (AN), urea-ammonium nitrate solution (UAN), nitric acid (intermediate), and related nitrogen fertilizers. AB "Achema" also supplies certain industrial chemicals and gases (e.g., carbon dioxide) and solutions such as AUS 32 (AdBlue) for SCR applications. Product assortments vary by market and season; refer to the company’s product catalog for current specifications.

Services and capabilities: Integrated production at a single complex, with logistics to domestic and export markets via rail and port channels (often leveraging group companies within Achemos grupė for port operations and freight).

Business model: Business-to-business supply of fertilizers and chemical intermediates to distributors, agricultural companies, and industrial end users. A significant share of production is exported.

Market position: AB "Achema" is widely described as the largest nitrogen fertilizer producer in the Baltic region and Lithuania’s largest single industrial consumer of natural gas (reflecting ammonia synthesis needs). It is an important regional player amid larger European and global competitors.

History

1960s: Construction of the Jonava nitrogen fertilizer complex began in the early 1960s; ammonia and fertilizer production was launched in 1963 under the Soviet-era industrial program (plant historically referred to as “Azotas”).

1989: The Jonava chemical plant suffered a serious industrial accident involving ammonia release, widely covered in Lithuanian historical accounts and environmental literature. Safety systems and operational practices were subsequently strengthened over time.

1990s: During Lithuania’s transition to a market economy, the enterprise was reorganized and incorporated as Akcinė bendrovė "Achema", becoming a core asset within the emerging Achemos grupė AB holding. Modernization and export orientation expanded.

2000s–2010s: Capacity upgrades and product portfolio enhancements continued, including improved granulation technologies and environmental performance initiatives. Integration with group logistics improved export competitiveness via Klaipėda port services operated by Achemos grupė subsidiaries.

2014–2019: The company operated within a changing Lithuanian energy landscape, including debates around LNG terminal costs and obligations in Klaipėda; AB "Achema" remained a central stakeholder given its gas-intensive operations.

2022–2023: Production schedules were periodically adjusted due to exceptional European natural gas price shocks; operations were curtailed or temporarily halted during peak price periods in 2022, with production later resumed as energy markets stabilized. Employee relations and union activities (including a strike) were reported in national media.

2024–present: Continued focus on reliability, efficiency, and environmental performance; industry commentary points to strategic interest in decarbonization pathways (e.g., low-carbon ammonia), subject to market and policy developments.

Financial Information

Revenue: Specific annual revenue for AB "Achema" is not publicly confirmed in this profile. Consolidated results for Achemos grupė AB (the parent group) are sometimes released in public yearbooks and media, indicating multi-hundred-million to billion-euro scale across the group depending on commodity cycles. For audited figures, consult official annual reports and filings.

Funding rounds: As a traditional industrial company organized as an akcinė bendrovė, AB "Achema" has not been publicly associated with venture-style funding rounds. Financing typically occurs via retained earnings, bank facilities, and (at the group level) capital markets instruments where applicable.

Ownership: AB "Achema" is a subsidiary within Achemos grupė AB. The group’s controlling interest has historically been associated with the Lubys family and affiliated holding structures. For precise shareholding breakdowns and ultimate beneficial ownership, refer to official shareholder registers and the group’s disclosures.

Leadership and Management

General Manager (Generalinis direktorius): Ramūnas Miliauskas (widely reported in Lithuanian media and corporate communications since the mid-2010s). Exact tenure dates and current status should be verified on the company website or recent filings.

Board (Valdyba): Detailed current roster of board members and their roles is not confirmed in this profile. As governance can change, consult the latest disclosures on achema.lt or Achemos grupė AB corporate governance pages.

Senior management (Vadovai): Departmental heads (production, finance, HR, logistics, safety, environment) are typically listed under the “Kontaktai” or governance sections of the company website; names and titles should be verified for currency.

Office Locations

Primary site and headquarters: AB "Achema" chemical complex and administrative offices are located in Jonava district, Jonalaukio village, Ruklos eldership, Lithuania. The precise street address and postal code should be confirmed via the company’s official website and Registrų centras.

Additional offices: AB "Achema" does not publicly list multiple commercial branch offices separate from the Jonava complex in most sources. Export logistics and port services are frequently handled through Achemos grupė subsidiaries in Klaipėda (e.g., KLASCO), which have their own addresses and phones. For any AB "Achema" representative office details and phone numbers, refer to the “Kontaktai” section on achema.lt.

Phone numbers per location: Not publicly confirmed in this profile. Please consult the official “Kontaktai” webpage for current numbers and departmental lines.

Market Position

Competitors (regional and international): Yara (Nordic/Global), EuroChem (EU/CIS), CF Industries (Global), Ostchem and other Eastern European nitrogen producers (e.g., Grodno Azot, Rivne Azot). Within Lithuania, AB "Achema" is the dominant fertilizer producer; competition primarily occurs in export markets and through imported fertilizers.

Market share: AB "Achema" is typically described as the largest producer in the Baltic States. Exact market share depends on product category and period; comprehensive statistics are available through industry reports (e.g., Fertilizers Europe, CRU, national statistics).

Competitive advantages: Integrated ammonia-urea-AN/UAN production; proximity to rail and port logistics; established customer relationships; group synergies via Achemos grupė (including port operations and distribution). Challenges include energy price volatility (natural gas), environmental regulations, and global commodity cycles.

Recent Developments

Energy market impacts (2022–2023): AB "Achema" intermittently curtailed production due to unprecedented natural gas prices in Europe, with later resumption as markets normalized. These adjustments were covered by Lithuanian media and reflected broader European fertilizer sector dynamics.

Labor relations: A strike and collective bargaining developments were reported in 2022, highlighting wage, workload, and energy-cost issues. Outcomes included negotiations and staged returns to normal operations.

Modernization and sustainability: Public commentary and corporate notes suggest ongoing work to optimize energy efficiency and environmental performance, with strategic interest in decarbonization (e.g., potential low-carbon or green ammonia pathways), subject to investment frameworks and policy incentives.

Contact Information

Website: https://www.achema.lt/

Email: info@achema.lt (general inquiries; verify current departmental emails on the website)

Address: Jonalaukio k., Ruklos sen., Jonavos r. sav., Lithuania (precise street and postal code to be confirmed via Registrų centras and achema.lt)

Phone: Please refer to the “Kontaktai” section on the company’s website for the current main switchboard and department-specific phone numbers.

Notes on Data Availability

Some specific legal identifiers (įmonės kodas, PVM kodas), exact registered address line (street and postal code), and direct phone numbers are not publicly confirmed in this profile due to source-access limitations. For authoritative, current details, consult:

- Lithuanian Register of Legal Entities (Registrų centras): registru-centras.lt

- Lithuanian State Tax Inspectorate (VMI) VAT register: vmi.lt

- The company’s official “Kontaktai” page: achema.lt/kontaktai

Sources and References

- AB "Achema" official website: https://www.achema.lt/ (company overview, products, contact channels)

- Achemos grupė AB website: https://www.achemosgrupe.lt/ (group structure, subsidiaries, governance context)

- Lithuanian Wikipedia (Achema/Azotas, Jonava chemical plant history): https://lt.wikipedia.org/ (search terms: “Achema (gamykla)”, “Azotas Jonava”, “Jonavos chemijos avarija 1989”)

- National media coverage on energy-price impacts and labor actions (examples): LRT (https://www.lrt.lt/), Delfi (https://www.delfi.lt/), Verslo žinios (https://www.vz.lt/) — search for “Achema gamyba dujų kainos 2022” and related reports.

- Industry context: Fertilizers Europe (https://www.fertilizerseurope.com/), CRU Group commodity analysis (https://www.crugroup.com/) for market position references and sectoral dynamics.

Always verify the latest legal and contact details on official registries and the company’s website, as corporate information can change over time.