LAT Nitrogen Linz

LAT Nitrogen Linz GmbH is an Austrian manufacturer of nitrogen-based products for the plant nutrient and industrial chemicals markets. It is a subsidiary of LAT Nitrogen Austria GmbH, which in turn is part of the Agrofert group. The company operates at the Chemiepark Linz in Linz, Austria, where it produces fertilizers, melamine and technical nitrogen products (TEN). Its history traces back to the former Österreichische Stickstoffwerke, later known as Chemie Linz AG. The Linz site processes natural gas into high-quality raw materials for agriculture and industry. Its main products are melamine, fertilizers and technical nitrogen products. Melamine is sold worldwide and is mainly used in the wood-based materials industry, particularly in the production of laminates and particleboard. With an annual output of 705,651 tonnes of CO2 equivalents (2018), it is one of the largest emitters of greenhouse gases in Austria. To use low-carbon 'green hydrogen' in its production in the future, LAT Nitrogen co-founded the Hydrogen Import Alliance Austria (HIAA) in 2024, which pursues the establishment of an Austrian hydrogen import economy. Other HIAA members include AMAG Austria Metall, Gas Connect Austria, OMV, RHI Magnesita, VERBUND, voestalpine and Wiener Stadtwerke. The Linz site produces around 1.5 million tonnes of plant nutrients and 450,000 tonnes of technical nitrogen products annually. Melamine production capacity in Linz is around 54,000 tonnes per year. Together with melamine production at the Piesteritz site (Germany), LAT Nitrogen is the second-largest melamine producer in Europe with a total capacity of 140,000 tonnes per year.

The history of LAT Nitrogen Linz begins in 1939 with the founding of 'Stickstoffwerke Ostmark AG' on 5 July 1939, adjacent to the Eisenwerke Oberdonau in Linz. A core product was ammonium nitrate (typically granulated with lime, containing 26% nitrogen, later brand name Nitramoncal 26%) as a nitrogen fertilizer for agriculture. Ammonia was oxidized to nitric acid, ammonia and nitric acid were neutralized to ammonium nitrate, thickened under vacuum with lime dust and granulated hot in rotating drums. For ammonia synthesis, nitrogen from air separation (Linde process) and hydrogen from the coking plant of the metallurgical works were needed. Operations were temporarily halted at the end of the war on 5 May 1945. On 6 April 1946, the company was renamed 'Österreichische Stickstoffwerke AG' and on 26 July 1946 it was taken over by the Republic of Austria (Nationalization Act). In 1973 it was renamed 'Chemie Linz AG', and a year later construction began on a second large plant in Enns. In the late 1980s, due to poor earnings and financial situation, the company spun off business areas as subsidiaries (Chemie Linz, Agrolinz, CL Pharma), with Chemie Holding AG formed as a holding structure. In 1990, Austrian Industries AG sold Chemie Holding to ÖMV AG; Chemie Holding acquired the Italian melamine company Ausind S.p.A., which operated as Chemie Linz Italia (Castellanza) S.r.l. until 1994 (today: Agrolinz Melamin Italia S.r.l.). The Norwegian group Hafslund Nycomed took over 55% of CL Pharma AG (100% in 1991). In 1991, Chemie Holding AG was converted into a GmbH and merged with Chemie Linz Ges.m.b.H.; 'Agrolinz Agrarchemikalien Ges.m.b.H.' thus became a wholly owned subsidiary of Chemie Linz Ges.m.b.H., which acted as the lead company of the chemicals division of ÖMV AG. In 1993, Agrolinz Agrarchemikalien Ges. m. b. H. was merged with Chemie Linz Ges.m.b.H. as the absorbing company. In 1994, Chemie Linz was renamed Agrolinz Melamin GmbH after the 'Fine Chemicals' division was spun off into Chemie Linz GmbH. In 1996, the Dutch group DSM N.V. bought Chemie Linz GmbH (formerly the Fine Chemicals division) and renamed it 'DSM Chemie Linz GmbH' and later 'DSM Fine Chemicals' (1999). In 2003, Agrolinz Melamin GmbH was renamed AMI Agrolinz Melamine International GmbH. In 2005, OMV sold 50% of its shares to IPIC, which itself held 17.6% of OMV. A severe explosion in the ammonia plant area killed two people and seriously injured another worker. In 2007, sale rumors intensified; OMV and IPIC wanted to sell their respective 50% shares to Borealis (IPIC owned 65% and OMV 35% of Borealis). On 14 February 2007, a fire with heavy smoke occurred at around 13:30 in the NPK (Odda) plant. In early March 2007, the closure of melamine production in Castellanza (Italy) was announced. On 18 June 2007, AMI representatives received the Schweighofer Innovation Prize (endowment: 25,000 euros) at Vienna City Hall in the presence of Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer for wood products for the joint project of AMI with Kompetenzzentrum Holz GmbH (Wood Kplus) for 'Hiperwood – extrudable wood-duroplast composite material based on melamine'. On 3 February 2022, the sale of the fertilizer, melamine and nitrogen business segment to fertilizer manufacturer EuroChem was announced for the second half of 2022. However, this sale did not materialize. LAT (pronounced 'eL A Te', from Linz Agro Trade, continued as a well-known brand name for fertilizers) Nitrogen (pronounced in English) Austria GmbH has belonged to Agrofert since 2023 (?).

• 2024

  Co-founded Hydrogen Import Alliance Austria (HIAA).

• 2023

  LAT Nitrogen Austria GmbH became part of Agrofert.

• 2022

  Announced sale of fertilizer, melamine and nitrogen business to EuroChem, which did not materialize.

• 2007

  Sale rumors to Borealis; fire at NPK (Odda) plant; closure of melamine production in Castellanza announced.

• 2005

  OMV sold 50% of shares to IPIC.

• 2003

  Renamed AMI Agrolinz Melamine International GmbH.

• 1994

  Renamed Agrolinz Melamin GmbH.

• 1990

  Chemie Holding sold to ÖMV AG; acquired Italian melamine company Ausind S.p.A.

• 1973

  Renamed 'Chemie Linz AG'.

• 1946

  Renamed 'Österreichische Stickstoffwerke AG' and nationalized by the Republic of Austria.

• 1939

  Founded as 'Stickstoffwerke Ostmark AG' on 5 July 1939.

Producer of nitrogen-based products for agriculture and industry; second-largest melamine producer in Europe.

• Melamine

  Used mainly in the wood-based materials industry, especially for laminates and particleboard.

• Fertilizers

  Nitrogen fertilizers for agriculture.

• Technical nitrogen products (TEN)

  Industrial chemicals based on nitrogen.

1. 1Polyolefins | Base Chemicals - Borealisborealisgroup.com
2. 2About Borealis - Borealisborealisgroup.com
3. 3Products - Borealisborealisgroup.com
4. 4Circular Economy - Borealisborealisgroup.com
5. 5LAT Nitrogen Linz - Wikidatawikidata.org
6. 6LAT Nitrogen Linz - Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org