
Learn how to build an organic cow dung organic-inorganic fertilizer production line, with guidance on the entire process from raw material fermentation, crushing, granulation to packaging, which is efficient and environmentally friendly, helping you realize fertilizer production automation, turning waste to fertilizer.
What are the common types of fertilizer plant?
The first step is to determine what kind of fertilizer plant to build. According to the process flow and manufacturing techniques, it can be divided into the following categories:
1. Organic Fertilizer Plant
Organic fertilizer plants produce fertilizers from natural sources such as animal manure(cow dung, chicken poultry), compost and plant residues. The production process involves composting, fermentation and drying of these materials. They are then mixed with other NPK raw materials such as Monoammonium Phosphate(MAP), Diammonium Phosphate(DAP), Potassium Chloride(kcl), Single Superphosphate(ssp) to make organic and inorganic compound fertilizers. Organic fertilizers are becoming more and more popular due to their environmental friendliness and sustainability. Inorganic fertilizers release nutrients quickly, while organic fertilizers release nutrients slowly and continuously. The combination of the two can complement each other.
2. NPK Compound Fertilizer Plant
NPK fertilizer plants produce fertilizers that contain a balanced combination of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K). These plants combine the production processes of nitrogen fertilizers, phosphates and potash fertilizers. The resulting fertilizers are highly sought after in agriculture and are the most widely used fertilizers in China. NPK compound fertilizer production line require a complex set of machinery and equipment to handle the different production stages such as granulation, drying, cooling, sieving, coating and ensuring the correct blend of the three nutrients.
3. Phosphate Fertilizer Plant
Phosphate fertilizer plants focus on producing fertilizers containing phosphorus. Phosphate rock is the main raw material for these plants, and there are many such production enterprises in Yunnan, China, due to its rich phosphate rock resources. The production process usually involves crushing and processing phosphate rock to extract phosphorus compounds. Depending on the processing method, different types of phosphate fertilizers are produced, such as single superphosphate and triple superphosphate. These plants require equipment for raw material crushing, sulfuric acid acidification reaction, and granulators to produce saleable fertilizers, which can be sold alone or as a raw material for NPK fertilizers.
4. High Nitrogen Content High Tower Fertilizer Plant
The nitrogen fertilizer plant mainly produces compound fertilizers rich in nitrogen. This type of fertilizer plays an important role in promoting crop growth and increasing yield in agricultural production. Among them, the high-tower compound fertilizer production line is one of the key processes of the nitrogen fertilizer plant. This process usually uses urea melting technology to heat solid urea to a molten state and form a uniform liquid emulsion through an emulsifying device. Subsequently, the urea emulsion is fully mixed with other powdered raw materials (such as ammonium phosphate, potassium chloride, etc.) and sprayed to the top of the tower through a high-pressure nozzle. Under the action of gravity, the mixed liquid falls from the top of the tower in the form of droplets, gradually cools and solidifies into uniform granular fertilizer during the process. This process not only ensures the high nutrient content and uniformity of granular fertilizers, but also has the advantages of high production efficiency and stable product performance. It is one of the important production methods of modern nitrogen fertilizer plants.
How to choose a suitable location to set up a fertilizer plant?
- Convenient transportation: The factory should be located in an area with convenient transportation, which should be convenient for large trucks to enter and exit, and convenient for transporting raw materials and finished products.
- Rich resources: If conditions permit, it should be close to the supply of raw materials for organic fertilizer production to reduce transportation costs and transportation. For example, many phosphate fertilizer plants in China are in Yunnan Province because there are cheap phosphate resources there.
- Water, electricity and gas on site: It should be close to places with sufficient water and electricity supply. In China, such as Yunnan Province, insufficient water and electricity supply during the dry season every year will cause a large number of companies to be unable to produce continuously, so the continuous power supply and stability of the local power grid are also very important.
- Suitable site size: The proportion of the plant should meet the requirements of the production process and reasonable layout, and leave appropriate development space. For example, we have a 200,000-ton compound fertilizer production line. The area required for the equipment area alone is about 2,100 square meters. At the same time, the owner needs to equip the raw material workshop. The size of the raw material workshop, such as the monthly storage, can be estimated according to the material pile weight to be about 2,500 square meters. The same is true for finished product plants. Customers should make estimates based on the price cycle of surrounding raw materials and the local market. If the fertilizer is immediately shipped by truck after production, the finished product warehouse can be smaller. If the local raw material prices fluctuate greatly and need to be purchased in large quantities when the price is low each year, the size of the raw material warehouse should also be redesigned based on this situation. In short, the design should be based on the specific situation of each customer.
- Far away from residential areas: Although Tongli's compound fertilizer production line has adopted the highest standard of flue gas dust removal, there will still be some noise when the equipment is running, including the sound of fans, hammer devices, and truck loading and unloading. Therefore, the site should be selected away from residential areas to avoid more or less special odors during organic fertilizer production or raw material transportation, which will affect the lives of residents.
How much does it cost to set up a fertilizer plant?
The main cost of setting up a NPK compound fertilizer plant or organic fertilizer plant or roller extrusion fertilizer plant can be divided into the following categories: machine cost, raw material cost, labor cost, land cost.
Raw Material Costs for Different Types of Fertilizers
For nitrogen fertilizers, the main raw materials are urea. The cost of urea fluctuate significantly depending on market conditions. Phosphate fertilizers rely on phosphate rock, which is mined from deposits around the world. The cost of phosphate rock depends on its quality and location. NPK fertilizers require a combination of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium sources. Potassium is often obtained from potassium chloride or potassium sulfate. The cost of these raw materials can vary depending on supply and demand. Organic fertilizers use natural materials such as animal manure and compost. The cost of these materials can be relatively low, but transportation and processing costs can add up.
Fertilizer | Average Price (USD/ton) | Notable Brands/Retailers |
Urea | $506 | Nutrien, CF Industries |
DAP | $760 | Mosaic, Helena Agri-Enterprises |
MAP | $821 | Simplot, Mosaic |
KCL (Potash) | $506 | Nutrien, Intrepid Potash |
SSP | Approx. $400-$450 (varies) | Local suppliers, Mosaic |
TSP | Approx. $650-$700 (varies) | OCP Group, regional distributors |
Labor and Staffing Expenses for a Fertilizer Plant
A fertilizer plant requires a skilled workforce to operate and maintain the machinery and equipment. This includes engineers, technicians, operators, and maintenance personnel. The labor cost depends on the location of the plant and the local wage rates. In addition to regular employees, a fertilizer plant requires contractors for specialized tasks such as construction and installation. Training and safety programs are also essential to ensure the safety of the workforce and the efficient operation of the plant. Staffing expenses can account for a significant portion of the total cost of setting up and operating a fertilizer plant. Below is a table estimates how much does a normal fertilizer plant worker getting paid hourly in United States(Data from year 2023-2024).
Company | Position | Hourly Pay (USD) | Annual Salary (USD) | Notes |
Mosaic | Plant Operator | $25 - $32 | $52,000 - $66,560 | Includes overtime, shifts often in high-demand operational roles. |
CF Industries | Equipment Operator | $28 - $35 | $58,240 - $72,800 | Typically includes safety bonuses and benefits. |
Nutrien | Production Worker | $22 - $30 | $45,760 - $62,400 | Covers field or plant work, including handling fertilizer manufacturing. |
Intrepid Potash | General Labor/Operator | $21 - $27 | $43,680 - $56,160 | Often involves mining and potash refining processes. |
Yara International | Plant Operator | $24 - $29 | $49,920 - $60,320 | Roles often focus on ammonia or nitrate production processes. |
OCP Group (USA) | General Operator | $20 - $25 | $41,600 - $52,000 | Positions include phosphate processing and fertilizer blending. |
Cost of Machinery and Equipment for Fertilizer Production
The cost of machinery and equipment for a fertilizer plant can vary significantly depending on the type and scale of the plant. For a nitrogen fertilizer plant, major equipment includes ammonia synthesis reactors, compressors, and 128m urea granulation tower. These can cost several million dollars. Phosphate fertilizer plants require equipment for crushing, grinding, and reacting phosphate rock, such as crushers, ball mills, and reactors. The cost of this equipment can also be in the millions. NPK fertilizer plants need a combination of equipment for nitrogen, phosphate, and potassium production, as well as blending and granulation units. Organic fertilizer plants require composting equipment, fermentation tanks, and drying machines. The cost of this equipment is generally lower than that for chemical fertilizer plants but can still range from hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars depending on the scale.
Production Capacity (10,000 tons/year) | Estimated Price (USD Million) |
50000 tons per year NPK compound fertilizer production line | 1.05 |
100,000 tons per year NPK compound fertilizer production line | 1.75 |
150,000 tons per year NPK compound fertilizer production line | 2.25 |
200,000 tons per year NPK compound fertilizer production line | 3.95 |
300,000 tons per year NPK compound fertilizer production line | 4.95 |
What are the common factors that contribute to the cost of the fertilizer plant?
- Process flow design: The table above shows the reference prices of compound fertilizer production lines with different capacities. Of course, these prices are estimates only, and specific quotes need to be adjusted based on the customer's specific needs. For example, the process configuration of the production line will directly affect the final price. Our production process can be flexibly designed according to the strength and performance requirements of the finished particles, such as using "two drying and one cooling" (two rotary drum dryers, one cooler), "one drying and two cooling" (one dryer, two a cooler), or a configuration of “one dryer and one cooler” (one dryer, one fertilizer cooler). These configurations are formulated based on the performance requirements of the finished compound fertilizer. The difference in equipment quantity, specifications and process complexity will also have a significant impact on the overall price.
- Equipment configuration: Equipment configuration is an important part of the price of our production line, which includes many different parts and equipment. For example, drum granulator, drum dryer, drum cooler, drum coating machine and drum screen. In addition, there are automatic quantitative packaging scales and automatic batching systems, conveying systems, and dust removal systems. The materials of these equipment, such as stainless steel and carbon steel, will also have a great impact on the overall price. At the same time, the choice of brand will also affect the final cost of the production line. For example, different motor brands such as ABB and domestic brands will affect the price of the entire production line.
- Equipment selection: Equipment selection means that in the same process, we can provide two different or more equipment to meet the needs of the product. For example, in the screening process, we provide two options: drum screen and vibrating screen. If different equipment or processes are used, the price of these two equipment will be different.
- Conveyor system: The next thing is our conveying system. For example, we have two types of conveying equipment: bucket elevators and belt conveyors. Different types of equipment will affect the price of the entire fertilizer production line. Usually we choose a combination of bucket elevators and belt conveyors, which can maximize the utilization of floor space. In addition, other types of conveying equipment, such as belt conveyors and scraper conveyors, will also affect the price of the production line. If customers want to improve the dust removal effect, they may choose a scraper conveyor instead of a belt conveyor. Or, if customers have higher requirements for dust removal, they can also choose to install a dust cover on the belt conveyor to achieve better dust removal. These factors will affect the choice of equipment and the final price of the production line to a certain extent.
- Dedusting system: In the entire compound fertilizer production line, the choice of dust removal system has a great impact on the overall cost. If it is necessary to meet the emission standards, we usually recommend the use of bag dust collectors. The dust removal effect of bag dust collectors is far better than that of cyclone dust removal systems. Although the equipment cost of cyclone dust removal systems is lower, its disadvantage is that a gravity settling chamber needs to be added, which will lead to an increase in civil construction costs. Although the price of equipment has dropped, the increase in civil construction costs has not necessarily reduced the overall investment. However, from the perspective of later maintenance, the maintenance cost of bag dust collectors is lower than that of cyclone dust removal systems. Therefore, when choosing a dust removal system, it is necessary to comprehensively consider multiple factors such as equipment price, civil construction cost, and later maintenance costs.
The process flow of the extruded compound fertilizer production line is: first, the raw material batching stage. This link is crucial to the quality of compound fertilizer and ensures the accuracy and efficiency of subsequent production. The next step is to stir the raw materials. Through fine stirring, various nutrients are evenly mixed, providing a good foundation for granulation. Then enter the key granulation process, using the ZJ-type double-roller extrusion granulator independently developed by our company. The equipment adopts a non-drying room temperature process and has significant technical advantages. It can achieve one-time molding and provides two output specifications: 1-1.5 tons per hour and 1.5-3 tons per hour to meet different production needs. In the particle drying and cooling process, the stability and moisture control of the particles are ensured, and suitable conditions are provided for subsequent classification and coating. The particle classification process sorts the particles according to their size, ensuring uniform particle size of the product and improving the effectiveness of the fertilizer. The last step is the coating and packaging of the finished product. This step plays an important role in protecting the fertilizer and extending the shelf life. It also facilitates the user's handling and storage.
The ammonia process has the following characteristics: This process makes full use of the dilution heat of concentrated sulfuric acid and the chemical reaction heat between liquid ammonia and sulfuric acid, monoammonium phosphate and other raw materials to raise the temperature of the granulation material to the optimal granulation temperature of 75-85 ℃, and reasonably control the pH value (pH value) of the granulating materials to obtain a higher balling rate.
An acid mixer is used to dilute concentrated sulfuric acid with water, and the diluted sulfuric acid is directly added to the granulator. This not only fully utilizes the dilution heat of concentrated sulfuric acid to further increase the granulation temperature, but also reduces equipment investment and simplifies the operation process.
At the same time, a dedicated granulation exhaust gas scrubber is configured, which effectively improves energy efficiency and reduces emissions (taking 100,000 tons/year as an example, the power consumption of the ammonia process equipment does not exceed 35 kilowatts). In addition, the granulation and balling rate of the ammonia process can reach about 80%, and the production capacity of the device is increased by about 50%. The granulation moisture is reduced, the drying energy consumption is also reduced accordingly, and the dryer capacity is significantly improved (coal consumption is only 10kg/t).
Due to the uniform ammoniation during the granulation process, the granulation rate is high, the granule appearance is round and smooth, and the product strength can reach ≥25N, ensuring high product quality. The granulation operation is stable, the product nutrients are uniform, and it is suitable for the production of different types of fertilizers. The nitrogen content can reach up to 28%. Finally, the granulation exhaust gas is washed through a dedicated exhaust gas scrubber, and the washing and absorption efficiency reaches more than 99%, ensuring that the exhaust gas emissions meet the standards.
The production process of compound fertilizer production line includes raw material batching, stirring and mixing, crushing and agglomeration, granulation, primary screening, particle drying, particle cooling, secondary screening, finished particle coating and finished product quantitative packaging.
First of all, the raw material batching generally selects urea, ammonium nitrate, ammonium chloride, ammonium sulfate, ammonium phosphate (monoammonium phosphate, diammonium phosphate, heavy calcium, general calcium), potassium chloride (potassium sulfate) and other raw materials, and is prepared according to a certain proportion. The specific proportion is determined according to local market demand and soil test results. Next, the prepared raw materials are evenly mixed through a mixing and stirring process, and a horizontal mixer or a disc mixer is used to improve the uniformity and fertilizer efficiency content of the fertilizer particles. The mixed raw materials may agglomerate, so it is necessary to use a chain crusher and other equipment to crush them for subsequent granulation processing.
The crushed material will be sent to the granulator through a belt conveyor for granulation. Commonly used granulators include drum granulators, roller extrusion granulators and disc granulators. Granulation is the core step in the production process of compound fertilizer. Subsequently, the particles are preliminarily screened by the primary screening machine, and the unqualified particles are returned to the mixing and stirring stage for further processing.
After the preliminary screening, the particles will enter the dryer for drying, the purpose is to remove the moisture in the particles and enhance the strength of the particles for easy preservation. The commonly used equipment is the rotary dryer. The temperature of the particles after drying is high and they are easy to agglomerate, so they need to be cooled by a cooler to reduce the temperature of the particles for subsequent packaging, storage and transportation.
The cooled particles enter the secondary screening stage, and the secondary drum rotary screening machine is used to further grade the particles. The qualified particles are screened out, and the unqualified particles are returned for crushing and granulation. After that, the qualified particles will be coated and coated by the coating machine to increase the brightness and roundness of the particles and make their appearance more beautiful. Finally, the finished particles are sent to the silo for storage through a belt conveyor, and are automatically quantitatively packaged by an electronic quantitative packaging scale and a sewing machine, and finally fully automated bag sealing and storage are realized.