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Fertilizers for the world
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K+S supplies salts, potash and magnesium products for the world via the Port of Hamburg. On a worldwide scale, the group ensures that the population’s basic needs are met.
Between 350 and 400 vessels per year berth at Ka- likai Hamburg. These deliver fertilizers, technical salts, thawing agents, table and pharmaceutical salts to customers all over the world. “Demand for our products is global. We are especially strong on special fertilizers containing sulphur and magnesi- um. Among our leading markets are South America, SE Asia, China and India,” says Holger Jungerberg, Kalikai Execution, K+S Minerals and Agriculture.
CORRECT PLANT NUTRITION IS ESSENTIAL FOR GOOD HARVESTS
Fertilizers replace plant nutrients removed from the soil during harvesting. Balance and needs-based fer- tilization is therefore essential for sustained high- yield and qualitatively high-grade agriculture. The three main nutrients are nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium. If plants are to grow as well as possible, these must be available in a balanced ratio in the soil. Also significant for plant nutrition are such fur- ther elements at trace level as magnesium, sulphur, manganese and boron. K+S produces potassium fer- tilizers and fertilizer specialities on the basis of sul- phur and magnesium salts.
The bulk of the fertilizers commence their journey to customers all over the world at Kalikai Hamburg. Over 40 percent of all goods shipped are despatched
on their voyages from there. The proportion of ferti- lizers exported outside Europe is around 50 percent, 22 percent being to South America and 19 percent to Asia. In addition, K+S exports technical salts to the chemical and manufacturing industries. K+S also supplies ultrapure pharmaceutical salts to medical technology and health care companies.
UP TO 55,000 TONS LOADED DAILY
The vessels are loaded with between 1,000 and 60,000 tons of fertilizers and other products. “Load- ing time varies a lot, depending on the size of the ship, the product and the special services booked,” explains Jungerberg, adding that a large vessel with product for Brazil, for example, requires two days for 55,000 tons. One limiting factor is maximum daily throughput at 55,000 tons. “With several different commissions being handled simultaneously, howev- er, the times required also depend on the quantity of orders to be fulfilled in parallel,” stresses Junger- berg.
Besides loading bulkers, K+S also despatches up to 30,000 containers per year at Kalikai Hamburg. These represent about 65 percent of all containers shipped by K+S. Additional volumes arrive in the ports of Hamburg and Bremerhaven from the hinter- land by rail or inland waterway craft. “The boxes
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