Agropolychim dispatches its first-ever rail shipment of liquid UAN fertilizer
Last week, at Agropolychim’s production site, the company dispatched its first-ever rail shipment of liquid UAN fertilizer, marking an important step in expanding its logistics solutions and improving cost efficiency for high-volume customer deliveries.
This is the first of three trains operated within the framework of a partnership with a long-standing and well-established client – one of the leading fertilizer distributors in Southwestern Romania. The current contract covers approximately 3,000 tonnes, distributed across three rail compositions of 22 wagons each. At such volumes, the difference in logistics costs per tonne compared to road transport is significant, delivering tangible economic benefits for the customer. This model is particularly suitable for partners with the capability to unload rail tank wagons directly at their own facilities.
Agropolychim has more than 30 years of experience in the production of liquid UAN fertilizer, with the first shipments by tanker dating back to the early 1990s, followed later by road transport. Today, the company builds on these established practices by introducing rail transport for the first time, in line with its strategy to offer a comprehensive range of services, higher operational efficiency, and optimized distribution for customers.
Agropolychim operates four loading points with a total capacity of 50 tonnes per hour, ensuring flexibility and reliability when handling larger volumes. A single rail tank wagon can be loaded in less than one hour. Using its own shunting equipment, including Unimog vehicles, the company manages internal logistics for both ammonia and UAN rail tank wagons, enabling loading and maneuvering operations to be carried out efficiently and without the need for external shunting services.
The introduction of rail transport is also a direct response to a changing market environment. While road transport has historically been the more cost-effective option for UAN deliveries, significant increases in regional road charges – including the rise in toll fees in Romania – together with fluctuations in fuel prices have led to a reversal of this trend. For the first time this year, rail transport has become more competitive than road transport, particularly for high-volume shipments along specific routes supported by the necessary technical and rail infrastructure.
Agropolychim remains open to organizing rail deliveries of liquid fertilizers at the request of customers. In this way, the company further expands the scope of its logistics and technical solutions, adding liquid safe products to its established rail transport portfolio for ammonia, sulfuric acid, bulk and general cargo. In the coming years, Agropolychim’s strategy will focus on the development of liquid fertilizers with high added value, including standard UAN as well as specialized formulations such as UAN with sulfur, zinc, and other products, further strengthening the company’s competitiveness in regional markets.
