In the age of constantly growing human population, fertilizers are the new gold. This phrase is on everyone’s lips, pointing to the crucial role of fertilizer in supporting farmers to get the most out of the soil and ensure our food security. Hence, we need innovative and sustainable processing solutions in the fertilizer industry. In this interview, we discuss with Dr. Metodi Zlatev, head of the sales and project department of Haver & Boecker Niagara in Germany, the company’s commitment to global food supply and sustainability, leading trends in the sector, its best practices in developing fertilizer processing equipment, and Haver & Boecker Niagara’s efforts to assist fertilizer manufacturers in addressing challenges in the field.
Dr. Zlatev, what do you believe is the significance of Haver & Boecker Niagara in the fertilizer industry and to what do you attribute the company’s growth?
Haver & Boecker Niagara is a leading provider of equipment for producing and processing organic fertilizer, mineral fertilizer and chemical fertilizer. We offer sustainable and efficient solutions for the processing, handling, packing and storage of different types of fertilizers, while complying with legal regulations and supporting organic farming. In other words, our signature screening and pelletizing technologies support the entire fertilizer production process, ensuring the perfect flow for our customers: starting from the mine where the raw materials are extracted and processed, to the fertilizer factories where the actual fertilizer is produced, to the packaging and loading/unloading stations. Our in-depth process knowledge enables solutions that allow farmers to successfully cope with the agricultural challenges of the future, such as longer application ban periods, limitations of nitrogen application, reduction of ammonia and nitrous oxide emissions, and the need to expand storage capacities.
Speaking of the challenges in this sector: Could you share your thoughts on what the biggest challenges are in the fertilizer industry and how Haver & Boecker Niagara is helping to overcome them?
The fertilizer industry must balance the need to remain economically competitive with the need to meet environmental and social sustainability goals. In general, plants require essential nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and sulfur to grow and thrive. These nutrients play an important role in photosynthesis and plant growth, including promoting healthy root development, improving flower and fruit production, and contributing to overall plant strength and stability. However, soil fertility can be a major issue for plant growth, as soil may be depleted of certain essential nutrients or contain unhealthy levels of certain substances that affect its pH, organic matter content, and structure. This is where fertilizer comes in. As farmers incorporate fertilizer to replenish the soil nutrients, they experience better yields and improved food quality, ultimately helping to ensure food security. Unfortunately, the use and production of fertilizer results in some harmful effects on the environment. There is a need to reduce emissions and increase storage capacities while still complying with the legal regulations – areas in which we as a company invest many human, financial and technical resources.
Another big challenge in the fertilizer sector stems from rising costs and the scarce availability of raw materials. The production of fertilizers requires large quantities of raw materials such as natural gas, nitrogen, phosphate, and potash, which can be expensive and subject to market fluctuations. To address this challenge, fertilizer manufacturers need innovative processing solutions to produce more with fewer resources, or to draw materials from alternative sources. For instance, they may be able to work with phosphates from a water treatment plant in a large city.
We understand the fertilizer treatment process and have the expertise to develop sustainable solutions to address these challenges. Haver & Boecker Niagara fertilizer processing equipment produces more with less raw materials. By eliminating blinding and sticking of the material and incorporating eccentric screening movement, Haver & Boecker Niagara technology enables increased production in the same amount of operating time. By installing our vibrating screen and pelletizing disc technologies, fertilizer production plants increase their capacity by up to 50%. The screens boost efficiency, improve product quality, and assist in successfully meeting the increased challenges in the fascinating agricultural world by leveraging the latest industry trends.
Dr. Zlatev, you just mentioned the need to leverage the latest techniques and trends. May we ask you what are some of the most significant trends in the fertilizer industry today and how are they shaping the future of this sector?
One of the major trends see, as we mentioned earlier, is the overall increasing demand for fertilizer. We face enormous population growth, and with it, an exponentially increasing demand for food which drives the demand for fertilizers to support food production. In the past, one acre of land was enough to feed two people. In 2030 the same area must feed six people in order to keep up with the growing population. With this in mind, farmers need to source new and effective ways to increase the earth’s fertility and support sustainable food sourcing. I strongly believe that the sustainable use of fertilizer can be a part of the solution.
The fertilizer industry faces growing regulatory pressure to minimize the negative impact of fertilizer production and use on the environment. This leads to increased focus on compliance with environmental regulations and a drive towards more sustainable and environmentally friendly practices. The increasing regulatory pressures have resulted in increased investment in research and development to create more sustainable fertilizer production processes and solutions that increase yields while reducing fertilizer waste and environmental footprint. Following this trend, Haver & Boecker Niagara has also focused our attention on conducting fertilizer testing and scientific studies at our own newly modernized R&D center at Haver Engineering GmbH in Freiberg (associated Institute of the “TU Bergakademie in Freiberg”), Germany. This has led to innovative fertilizer treatment processes and engineering solutions that allow our customers to meet demand while adhering to the growing regulations.
With increasing concerns about the negative impact of fertilizer production on the environment, there is a growing demand for innovations and digitalization in fertilizer processing technology and the increased use of precision agriculture. The precision agriculture industry is embracing digital technologies, including the use of sensors to capture real-time data and analytics that enhance and refine fertilizer application. Similarly, equipment technology incorporates artificial intelligence and data capture to ensure perfect flow in the processing stages and high-quality end product. For example, the Scarabaues pelletizing disc is equipped with cameras that collect data in real time and measure the size of the pellets, a critical factor in meeting fertilizer pellet quality requirements. The Pulse Condition Monitoring system incorporates sensors on screening machines collect data to predict breakdowns and maintenance, sending warning messages to the technical team. Additionally, there is a growing demand for organic and mineral fertilizers, which are perceived as safer and more environmentally friendly compared to chemical fertilizers. This trend has resulted in increased investment in the development of new and improved fertilizers and processing technologies. Sensing this trend, we also manufacture advanced pelletizing technologies for organic fertilizer processing.
All of these trends are shaping the future of the fertilizer industry. At Haver & Boecker Niagara, we are closely following both regulations and material and production trends while remaining committed to supporting the fertilizer industry in its efforts to increase food security and sustainability. Our equipment and solutions are designed to meet the demands of the industry, ensuring the highest quality and most sustainable fertilizer production possible.
Speaking about Haver & Boecker Niagara’s expertise in fertilizer processing – can you highlight some of the company’s recent projects and their impact on fertilizer production?
For many years, Haver & Boecker Niagara has been a reliable partner for projects in the fertilizer industry. We work very closely with the largest players in the sector, carefully listening to their requirements, advising them on how to successfully handle their challenges, and developing customized machines and complete plants that ensure the highest performance and production rates, improved material quality, and low maintenance intervals. A simple example of such a project is a factory where we have been entrusted with the installation of more than 86 Niagara vibrating screens that operate around the clock. Each of them has a capacity of 150 tons per hour. The customer experienced a smooth project flow and a huge increase in production. Similar successful installations included the basic engineering for a crushing and screening plant for phosphate ore with a capacity of 5500 tons per hour, and the design of a crushing and screening plant with three lines for the processing of potassium with a capacity of 800 tons per hour per line.
Recently, we supplied a complete loading terminal for potash, to meet production requirements of 480 tons per hour. This facility includes reclaim units, screening stations, mixing units, and truck loading systems, which ensure the highest product quality. This project was only possible because of the breadth of experience and application knowledge of the Haver & Boecker team, and the engineering expertise of the Haver Engineering group. A similar project in the Middle East region incorporated a complete screen house with a high-capacity Niagara XL-Class MD 1800 x 6000, UM-Feeder 1400x2000C and EM-Feeder 1400x2000C with a bagging system for a urea fertilizer manufacturer. The material is separated at 2 and 4mm and the total capacity of the plant is 1190 tons per hour. After project completion, the customer was highly impressed by the high level of consultation and commitment to optimal production parameters. Another interesting project in the fertilizer sector will be complete in the coming weeks. There we have developed a process (selective crushing) and supplied Niagara XL-Class vibrating screens for classifying phosphates. The Niagara XL-Class combines advanced exciter drive technology with a wide body design for high production capacities, achieving more than 52 tons per hour each at a grain size of 0-10 mm and guaranteeing maximum reliability with extended maintenance intervals.
Lastly, the implementation of our innovative Niagara T-Class MD1400x4500-C 2D vibrating screen in a project with a compact fertilizer plant ensures the highest performance for the biggest sulphate of potash (SOP) producer in Western Australia, with a particle size of 0-25mm. In Belgium, we also custom-built a Niagara XL-Class high-capacity linear screen for a customer processing KAZ fertilizer. Implementing it within our customer’s plant increased its processing capacity to more than 230 tons per hour with cut sizes of 0-5mm.
Such successes motivated us to work even harder to ensure our customers’ optimal effectiveness and efficiency throughout the entire process chain from raw material to the finished product, and to offer them the best solutions in the processing of potash, phosphate, NPK, MAP and DAP fertilizer.
You also mentioned that Haver & Boecker Niagara is developing pelletizing solutions for the fertilizer industry. Could you share some insights into the projects realized with this technology?
Yes, we are very happy in our achievements in the pelletizing technology for processing minerals and organic fertilizer.
Mineral fertilizer discs are working in Pollen (CaCo3) – 10 ton per hour in Germany and other European countries.
Our signature pelletizing disc, the Niagara Scarabaeus 4200, has been in operation in Australia for more than 10 years now. For this installation, we worked very closely with the team in our R&D center at Haver Engineering. A fertilizer company in Australia was looking to improve the production of bio-active mineral fertilizers and support the development of organic farming. The customer had high requirements for a pelletizing disc with a capacity increase from 7.7 to 15.4 tons per hour and the improvement of product homogeneity and quality. We conducted tests and experiments with the customer’s fertilizer material and the results exceeded expectations with a share of up to 80% usable fertilizer pellets. Based on the results, the customer decided to replace their pelletizing drum with the Niagara Scarabaeus 4200 pelletizing disc. The robust design, energy-efficient and low-maintenance drive unit, and high flexibility of the Scarabaeus 4200 made it the perfect choice for the customer. The operator also decided to upgrade their plant with the Niagara T-Class 1500×5000 for product grading and the Haver Computer Particle Analyzer CPA 2.1 for continuous determination of product quality. After the installation, the customer reported a share of 90% usable pellets, an improvement in solidity and roundness, and expressed high satisfaction. We are still providing customer service and support for future process optimization. I strongly believe that the success of this project brings us another step closer to ensuring sustainable food sourcing and improving soil fertility.
How does Haver & Boecker Niagara contribute to global food security and sustainability?
Fertilizers play a vital role in supplying the essential nutrients to plants that enable farmers to produce more food on existing land and feed the world’s growing population. But we are aware that production and use of fertilizers can have significant environmental impacts, such as polluting water resources and greenhouse gases emissions. As a result, fertilizer companies must comply with increasingly stringent environmental regulations, which can raise production costs and limit the availability of certain types of fertilizers. At Haver & Boecker Niagara, we understand the importance of food security and sustainability. Our equipment and solutions support customers in producing high-quality fertilizers while complying with legal frameworks and reducing the negative impact on the environment. We also offer efficient storage solutions that reduce waste and increase the shelf life of fertilizers, thus reducing the need for frequent replacements. Additionally, our equipment is designed for low maintenance, ensuring higher productivity and profitability for operators, which ultimately contributes to global food security and sustainability.
In conclusion, Dr. Zlatev and Haver & Boecker Niagara are committed to helping to secure the global food supply with innovative and sustainable fertilizer processing solutions. With expertise and years of experience in the sector, the company’s equipment is designed to increase fertilizer production efficiency and improve product quality while reducing costs and the negative impact on the environment. The company’s dedication to providing efficient and high-quality equipment will continue to play a crucial role in overcoming the challenges faced by the fertilizer industry and reaching a brighter and sustainable future.
Our global network of experience allows us to solve the most unique problems.
Florian Festge, Haver & Boecker Managing Partner
