St. Petersburg, Russia, May 24, 2018– EuroChem Group AG (hereinafter “EuroChem” or the “Group”), a leading global fertilizer company, has signed a further agreement with the John Nurminen Foundation, a Finnish private foundation working for the protection of the Baltic Sea. The agreement will see both parties continue to work together on measures to further improve the environment in the Luga River basin.

The agreement will cover EuroChem’s installation of a closed water cycle system in its new ammonia factory at the site of the Group’s Phosphorit plant in Kingisepp, close to the Estonian border and on the banks of the Luga River, which flows into the Baltic Sea in the Gulf of Finland.
“We have already achieved much with the John Nurminen Foundation and look forward to our continued collaboration,” said Igor Nechayev, General Director of MCC EuroChem. “The proposed closed water cycle system is a state-of-the-art development and a key part of our effort to minimize our impact on the Baltic Sea.”
The two parties first began working together in 2012 to reduce phosphorus discharges from the Phosphorit fertiliser factory into the Luga River. A system of dams and other measures to prevent water runoff from Phosphorit led to a significant decrease between 2011 and 2017 in the phosphorus load carried by the Luga into the Baltic. The system was later tested by independent experts who concluded that its treatment capacity was sufficient for all conditions and that the used water purification technology used was functioning well.
To mark the signing, representatives of the John Nurminen Foundation are visiting Phosphorit this week to see the purification system in operation for themselves, six years after it first started operations.

“The effect of the measures at the Phosphorit plant on the water quality of the Gulf of Finland, especially in the eastern parts, has been remarkable,” said Marjukka Porvari, Director of the Baltic Sea projects of the John Nurminen Foundation. “Research organisations, including the Finnish Environment Institute SYKE, confirm that symptoms of eutrophication, such as excessive growth of harmful algae, have been reduced while, at the same time, water clarity in the Luga River and the Gulf of Finland has increased significantly. In terms of its positive impact on the environment, it can be said that this is the largest environmental project ever implemented in the Gulf of Finland in the Baltic Sea.”

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About EuroChem Group AG
EuroChem is a leading global producer of nitrogen, phosphate and potash fertilizers, as well as certain industrial and mining products. The Group is vertically integrated with activities spanning mining to fertilizer production, logistics, and distribution. EuroChem began potash production at its Usolskiy mine in early 2018, and continues to develop a second greenfield site at VolgaKaliy in Russia. Headquartered in Zug, Switzerland, the Group operates production facilities in Europe, Asia and the CIS, employing more than 26,000 people. For more information, please visit eurochem-corporate-qa1b64.azurewebsites.net

About the John Nurminen Foundation
The goal of the John Nurminen Foundation is to save the Baltic Sea and its heritage for future generations. The Foundation’s Clean Baltic Sea projects improve the condition of the Baltic Sea with concrete measures that help reduce the load and environmental risks directed at the sea. The Clean Baltic Sea projects are funded by private donations and public funding. More information can be found at: www.johnnurmisensaatio.fi

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