PhosAgro acquires batch of TikhvinChemMash-produced tank cars with stainless steel tank shells

Railcar-building enterprise TikhvinChemMash (part of railway holding UWC) is fulfilling an order for PhosAgro, one of the leading global producers of phosphorus fertilisers, and will supply 87 tank cars with stainless steel tanks shells for the transportation of a wide range of chemical freights. The shipment will be completed in the short-term.

The model 15-6900-01 tank car outperforms all of its mass-produced competitors on the domestic market from a technical and economic standpoint. Equipped with a 25 t axle load bogie, the tank car has a shell volume of 54.5 m³ and an increased payload capacity of 76.5 tons, allowing for load increases of up to 8.5 tons of freight per car (compared with standard models).

The stainless steel tank shell, which is fitted with sealing elements made from fluoropolymer – a modern engineering material that is resistant to friction and the impact of harmful materials – provides corrosion-resistant protection of the shell, ensures the safety of the personnel maintaining the rolling stock, and eliminates the environmental impact of hazardous freights. PhosAgro plans to use the TikhvinChemMash-produced tank cars for the transportation of liquid complex fertilisers (LCFs) for use in agriculture. The tank cars will form part of the fleet of Apatit (Vologda Region, part of PhosAgro Group), a producer of phosphorus mineral fertilisers, phosphoric and sulphuric acid, aluminium fluoride, ammonia and urea, as well as ammonium nitrate and ammonium nitrate-based fertilisers.

The TikhvinChemMash-produced tank car has an increased overhaul mileage of up to 1 million km or 8 years (for comparison, standard models have an expected mileage of 210,000 km before the first depot repair and a further 110–160,000 km before subsequent repairs). The model 15-6900-01 tank car has an operational life of 32 years.

Sergey Pronin, responsible for sales, logistics and marketing at PhosAgro, commented: “In spite of the fact that PhosAgro has made significant achievements in realising all of its strategic goals, we remain committed to strengthening our competitive position, including through further improvements to efficiency and reductions in operational expenditures. This includes reducing the costs associated with transporting our products. We are confident that working with the TikhvinChemMash-produced fleet of tank cars will allow us to significantly increase transportation efficiency and lower costs.”

Ilya Shiyan, Commercial Director at United Wagon Company: “We have been working with PhosAgro for a number of years. During this time the chemical holding has added over 2,000 UWC-produced cars to its fleet. We are happy that our railcars are recognised by market leaders. The most important indicator of their quality, however, is the fact that our partners come back to us to sign deals on new orders, including for newly-developed models.”