CONSTRUCTION STATUS OF IMPORTED AMMONIA PLANTS IN THE SOVIET UNION

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: NGA Records (Formerly NIMA)
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80T00913A000100590001-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 11
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 17, 2010
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: February 11, 1980
• Content Type: REPORT

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Top Secret RUFF IS 80-10023K
Central Intel6xence Agency
National Foreign Assessment Center
Office of Imagery Analysis
February 1980
Page 1 of 8
Copy No.j_
IMAGERY ANALYSIS MEMORANDUM
SUBJECT: Construction Status of Imported Ammonia Plants in the Soviet
Union
Overview
As part of a major effort to increase production of nitrogen-based
fertilizer (for which ammonia is a prime ingredient) and to provide more
ammonia for industry and export, the Soviets contracted during the 1970s
to build 45 imported ammonia plants by 1980. Photographic analysis
shows that they have been only partially successiul in completing this
ammonia plant construction program. Thirty-four of the plants should be
completed by 1980. Five more are under construction and should be
completed by 1981. No evidence of construction has yet been seen on
photography at the remaining six locations where the Soviets have
stated that ammonia plants will be built.
Construction continues on portions of a large diameter ammonia
pipeline running from Tolyatti, the largest ammonia producing area in
the country, to the Black Sea port of Grigoryevka near Odessa, a distance
of 2,100 kilometers. The pipeline could be complete by late 1980. The
terminal and port facility as well as two ammonia plants at Grigoryevkd
are now complete, and the first shipments of ammonia to the US were
The information and judgments presented in this memorandum were derived
principally from analysis of imagery. Although information from other
sources of intelligence may be included for background, this memorandum
does not reflect an all-source assessment and has not been formally
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I op Secret KUI- t
Introduction
In the early 1970s the Soviets began a rapid development of their
ammonia industry to support a priority program to increase agricultural
yields and provide more ammonia to industry and for export. Ammonia is
the principal intermediate chemical used in the production of nitrogen-
based fertilizer. The Soviets, through a series of agreements and
contracts with various countries, proposed to construct 45 ammonia
plants in support of the program by 1980. Information in this review
provides a 1979 update of data presented in an earlier Imagery Research
Paper (IRP) on the impact of imported technology on the Soviet ammonia
industry. [Reference 1]
Discussion
It appears from photographic analysis that the Soviet Union will be
only partly successful in completing an ammonia plant construction
program in the time frame planned. The program, initiated in the early
1970s, was to be complete before the end of the current five-year plan
(1975-1980). F__]
A photographic survey of Soviet ammonia plant construction in-
dicates that by the end of 1979, 34 plants should have been completed.
This represents a completion of 75 percent of the program to build 45
ammonia plants by 1980. Five of the remaining eleven planned ammonia
plants were noted under construction and based on their stage of construc-
tion they should be complete by 1981. No indications of construction
were observed on available 1979 photography at the remaining six o tions
where the Soviets have stated ammonia plants will be built.
Seven ammonia plants that were projected in our earlier report for
completion in 1978, were not completed until 1979. [1] With the
completion of these1_an_tsarrd 10 others the Soviets were able to finish
17 plants in 1979.
Summary information on the construction chronology of the ammonia
plants is presented in Table 1. Current construction status of the
ammonia plants involved in the program is available in Table 2. The
estimated completion dates for the ammonia plants under construction are
based on construction timed observed at other plants using similar
process engineering.
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Top Secret RUFF
Table 1. Construction Chronology-of Soviet Imported
Ammonia Plants Through 1979
Total Number of Imported Ammonia Plants Planned - 45
Number of Ammonia Plants Completed Through 1978
Number of Ammonia Plants Completed in 1979
Number of Ammonia Plants Under Construction
Number of Ammonia Plants Not Started
Technology Modification
Photographic evidence continues to indicate the Soviets have
modified some of the technology gained from the purchase of foreign
process engineering. First observed on photography at the Berezniki
Chemical Combine, the modifications include different heat recovery and
refrigeration equipment, a different gas purification system and a
modified ammonia synthesis converter as well as a larger compressor
building. Photography of 1979 shows that the plants at Fergana,
Nevinnomyssk, Novomoskovsk, and Tolyatti No. 1 now include this modified
engineering. Detailed information on the extent of the earlier mod-
Ammonia Pipeline
Construction continues on some segments of the large diameter
ammonia pipeline connecting the Tolyatti Nitrogen Fertilizer Plant No. 2
and the port of Grigoryevka near Odessa. Photography of mid-1979 showed
portions between Tolyatti and the Panyutino spur still under construc-
tion. Based on the current rate of construction the pipeline could be
complete by late 1980. The terminal and port facility and the two
ammonia plants at Grigoryevka are complete, as are four of the six
ammonia plants at the other terminal, located at Tolyatti No. 2.
Construction varies from early-to-mid stages at the other two ammonia
plants at Tolyatti (figure 1). The delay in construction of the pipeline
and the ammonia plants may partly explain why the Soviets reportedly
will ship less ammonia to the US this year. Original plans under a 1973
fertilizer agreement with the US called for the Soviets to ship 2.1
million metric tons (mmt) of ammonia; however, the Soviets have in-
dicated that only 1.5 m>t will be shipped to the US in 1980. [2]
Shipmentsrof^ammonia ~from 'Grigoryevka^to~the US in~hange for super-
n4z
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iop aecrer rcurr
References
Documents
1. CIA. IS 79-10049K Im act of Im orted Technology on the Soviet
Ammonia Industr1, April 1979, STOP SECRET RUFF)
2. Chemical Week, International Newsletter, 2 January 1980
(UNCLASSIFIED)
3. FBIS BBC 14 December 1979 (UNCLASSIFIED)
Requirement
CER-5-89,240
OIA Project Number and Status
4AO244CF (Continuing)
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Distribution
Copy 1 - NFAC/OIA/0/Di r
2 - NFAC/CRES/RSG
3 - NFAC/OD
4 - NFAC/OER/Dir
5 - NFAC/OER/RLO
6-7 - NFAC/OER/USSR-E. Europe
8 - NFAC/OPA/USSR-EE/SPA
9 - NFAC/OSI/LSD
10 - NFAC/OIA/ERD
11 - NFAC/OIA/PG
12 - NFAC/SRP
13 - NFAC/PPG/R&D
14 - NFAC/OGCR/CD
15-17 - NFAC/OCR/ADD/CDS
18-19 - NPIC/DCB/IS
20 - NPIC/IEG/WPFD
21 - TCO/DIA/DB-5
22 - Trn/nOA
u u ep
27 - COB Stuttgart/Attn Liaison Group
28 - TCO/CIA (Chairman, COr?IIREX)
29 - NIO/Political-Economy
30 - NIO/USSR
31 - TCO/STATE/INR/ODC
32 - TCO/DDO/SE
33 - CIA/Rep/SAC
34 - TCO/DOE/ISA
35 - TCO/Commerce
36 - TCO/NSA
37 - TCO/ACDA/Intel Staff
38 - Records Center
39 - TCO/DDO/PLO
5
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Top Secret RUFF
Table 2 Construction Status of Soviet Imported Ammonia Plants (U)
Location of Construction Projected or
Chemical Complexes Status Completion date
Angarsk
52--33N
103-55E
Berezniki
59-24N
056-1 4E
Cherepovets
59-09N
037-49E
Cherkassy
49-22N
032-04E
Dneprodzerzhinsk
43-29N
034-40E
Dorogobuzh
54-57N
033-22E
Fergana
40-23N
071-47E
Gorlovka
48-18N
038-06E
Grigoryevka
(Odessa)
46-37N
031-OOE
Grodno
53-40N
023-53N
Jonava
55-05N
024-1 9E
Planned 1982
Complete 1975
Complete 1978
Planned 1982
Complete 1979*
Complete 1973
Complete 1979
Complete 1979
Complete 1979*
Early 1981
Complete 1978
Complete 1979
Complete 1979
Complete 1979
Complete 1978
Complete 1977
Al
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Kemerovo
1979
55-20N
085-59E
Khotla-Jarve
59-24N
027-14E
Ki rovo-Chepetsk
58-32N
049-58E
Lisichansk
48-56N
038-27E
Nevinnomyssk
44-39N
041-56E
Novgorod
58-36N
031-13E
Novomoskovsk
54-05N
038-13E
Perm
(Location not
identified)
Rossosh
50-09N
039-39E
Rovno
50-43N
025-10E
Rustavi
41-32N
045-03E
Salavat
53-24N
055-53E
Complete 1978
Complete 1979*
Early 1981
Complete 1979*
Complete 1979
Complete 1973
Complete 1975
Complete 1973
Complete 1976
Complete 1975
Complete 1919*
Complete 1974
Complete 1975
Complete 1979
Planned 1982
Early 1981
Planned 1982
Complete 1974
Complete 1979
Planned 1982
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Top Secret RUFF TCS-18294/80
Shevchenko
4337N
051-17E
Tolyatti No. 1
53-32N
049-27E
Complete 1976
Complete 1977
Tolyatti No. 2 Complete 1979*
53-30N Complete 1979*
049-38E Complete 1979
Complete 1979
Mid 1981
Early 1981
Planned 1982
*Plants that were projected (from photography) for completion in 1978
but were riot finished until 1979.
This table is classified TOP SECRET RUFF
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