Calgary’s Agrium investing $720M in north Texas nitrogen plant
by Cleantech Canada Staff
New production capacity at facility in Texas will be used to make diesel exhaust fluid grade urea
CALGARY—Canadian fertilizer maker Agrium Inc. said its board of directors approved a $750-million expansion to its nitrogen plant in north Texas.
According to Calgary-based Agrium, the expansion will add a new urea production unit at the facility in Borger, Texas, about 380 kilometres west of Oklahoma City, that will have an annual capacity of 610,000 tonnes of the nitrogen oxide-reducing compound.
About 100,000 tonnes of new production capacity will be used to manufacture diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) grade urea, a product used to reduced nitrogen oxide emissions in diesel-powered vehicles.
The project will also boost the plant’s annual ammonia capacity by approximately 145,000 tonnes to a total annual capacity of 635,000 tonnes.
“The upgrade and expansion at the Borger facility will continue to grow our nitrogen footprint in this important agricultural region while providing a strong return on investment,” Agrium president and CEO Chuck Magro said in a release.
“The project will ensure the facility’s future longevity, while using the latest in environmental control technology.”
Construction is set to launch next month, with an expected completion date in the second half of 2015.
The company said the expansion will not interfere with existing production.
