Achema

Achema, AB

Achema factory in Jonava
Trade name	Achema
Native name	AB "Achema"
Industry	Fertilizers
Founded	1962 (1962)
Successor	Achemos grupė
Headquarters	Jonava , Lithuania
Key people	Ramūnas Miliauskas CEO
Revenue	2.3 bil. LTL
Website	www.achema.lt

Achema is the largest fertilizer producer in the Baltic states. It is located in the city of Jonava in central Lithuania. In 2011 Achema employed about 1700 workers and reached 2.2 billion Litas revenues (about 640 million Euros), net profit was 96.3 million Litas (27.9 million Euros). The current managing director is Arūnas Laurinaitis.

History

The factory construction began in 1962 as one of the state-owned enterprises of the Lithuanian SSR, named Azotas.

1989 environmental disaster

On 20 March 1989 a rupture of the liquid ammonia tank occurred at the chemical fertilizer factory, causing a leakage of nearly 7,500 tonnes of ammonia. The catastrophe further developed into a fire at the storehouses of NPK 11-11-11 (nitrophoska) and other fertilizers polluting the atmosphere with products of their decomposition: nitrous oxide, chlorine gas, etc. The toxic cloud moved towards Ukmergė, Širvintos, Kėdainiai. The concentration of ammonia surpassed the permissible level 150 times in Upninkai, located 10 km from the enterprise. One day after the accident, a toxic cloud 7 km wide and 50 km long was recorded between Jonava and Kėdainiai. Seven people died during the fire and leakage of ammonia, 29 became handicapped, and more people suffered from acute respiratory and cardiac arrest.

Sistematika department

The beginning of SC "Achema“ subdivision "Sistematika“ work is closely related to the history of SC "Achema“ when automation department was established back in 1964 at that time company "Azotas“. The department was growing together with the company, and in 1999 was reorganized into the subsidiary "Sistematika“ which activity was expanding together with the concern "Achema Group“.