UPDATED: 05/14/2018 — see Change Log
OWNER: Greenfield Nitrogen LLC
PROJECT: Greenfield ammonia plant
SUMMARY STATUS: Financing Phase
Following years of quiet development, Greenfield Nitrogen launched its financing roadshow in March 2018 and, by mid-May, "has raised about $40 million." If the company succeeds in raising its $103 million equity round, this will be the first plant built with the Linde Ammonia Concept (LAC) technology for regional-scale ammonia production.
UPDATED: 05/10/2018 — see Change Log
OWNER: Grannus LLC
PROJECT: Greenfield polygeneration plant
SUMMARY STATUS: Planning phase
Grannus has been working to commercialize its polygeneration "Eureaka Process" since 2013, when it was a runner-up for Sustainability at the Cleantech Open. In 2015, the company closed its Series A financing, to fund engineering and feasibility work on its commercial-scale demonstration plant in California. In early 2016, Grannus awarded the engineering design contract but then, in late 2016, gave the contracts to other companies. In 2018, the EPA designated Grannus's hydrogen and ammonia production technology as "BACT."
UPDATED: 11/28/2018 — see Change Log
OWNER: Fortigen Geneva LLC (Tetrad Corporation)
PROJECT: Greenfield ammonia plant
SUMMARY STATUS: Operational
In January 2018, Fortigen began operations at its small ammonia plant outside Geneva, NE, to supply fertilizer to local farmers. The project broke ground in March 2016 and had been expected to start-up by Fall 2017, but this schedule became delayed when the storage tank was damaged during testing, due to "human error." There is already talk of expanding the site to add downstream products (urea and DEF), as well as a second ammonia plant.
UPDATED: 10/03/2017 — see Change Log
OWNER: None, yet
PROJECT: Greenfield urea plant
SUMMARY STATUS: Concept phase
A regional economic development proposal, seeking an investor. The municipality of Chatham-Kent spent significant time and money trying to encourage a company to build a new fertilizer plant in this location but, despite being in development since 2013, there is nothing to show for their effort. No schedule for future announcements.
UPDATED: 11/05/2015 — see Change Log
OWNER: BioNitrogen (BioNitrogen Holdings Corp)
PROJECT: Greenfield urea plant
SUMMARY STATUS: Financing Phase - in Bankruptcy Protection
Announced in March 2014, county financing incentives approved July and August 2014. This site may yet be developed as BioNitrogen's proof-of-concept, however, BioNitrogen entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in November 2015.
UPDATED: 11/05/2015 — see Change Log
OWNER: BioNitrogen (BioNitrogen Holdings Corp)
PROJECT: Greenfield urea plant
SUMMARY STATUS: Financing Phase - in Bankruptcy Protection
Ribbon cutting ceremony in May 2014. Awaiting announcement of bond placement and date for start of construction. This site may yet be developed as BioNitrogen's proof-of-concept, however, BioNitrogen entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in November 2015.
UPDATED: 10/16/2017 — see Change Log
OWNER: AM Agrigen Industries
PROJECT: Greenfield ammonia-urea plant
SUMMARY STATUS: Planning Phase
Greenfield ammonia plant: in development since 2012, permits approved in 2015, delayed, then completely redesigned in 2016. Now awaiting EPC announcement and revised budget and schedule. AM Agrigen has made no public announcements but permit documents reveal changing scale and technology licensors.
UPDATED: 10/03/2017 — see Change Log
OWNER: Farmers of North America (FNA)
PROJECT: Greenfield nitrogen fertilizer plant
SUMMARY STATUS: Planning phase
FNA is "moving steadily" towards building its own nitrogen fertilizer plant, starting with the establishment of a fertilizer and grain sales and distribution business. In 2017, FNA broke ground on the first of its distribution "supercentres," at Belle Plaine, (delayed from 2016). FNA began work on this project in 2010 and the pre-FEED study for the nitrogen production complex is complete, but FNA still needs to find a major equity investor and a partner to operate the plant.
UPDATED: 01/23/2018 — see Change Log
OWNER: Mississippi Power Company (Southern Company)
PROJECT: Greenfield power plant, ammonia byproduct
SUMMARY STATUS: Operational / Abandoned
The Kemper County Energy Facility, a 582 MW power plant, was one of the US DOE's flagship "clean coal" projects. It would have produced ammonia as a byproduct of its coal-to-syngas process. The plant has been producing power from natural gas since August 2014, but experienced profound delays and budget overruns with the coal portion, which now appears to have been abandoned, with layoffs at the adjacent coal mine.
UPDATED: 11/05/2015 — see Change Log
OWNER: BioNitrogen (BioNitrogen Holdings Corp)
PROJECT: Greenfield urea plant
SUMMARY STATUS: Financing Phase - in Bankruptcy Protection
To date, no more than a feasibility study. This site may yet be developed if one of BioNitrogen's proof-of-concept plants in Florida ever gets built. BioNitrogen entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in November 2015.
UPDATED: 10/02/2018 — see Change Log
OWNER: Cronus Fertilizers (Cronus Chemicals LLC)
PROJECT: Greenfield ammonia plant
SUMMARY STATUS: Financing phase
In October 2018, Cronus announced that it had awarded an EPC contract, with revised project scope. Awaiting financial close, before construction can begin; no groundbreaking yet. In August 2017, Cronus had also announced a reconfigured project, with a reduced capacity, lower capex, and a more realistic schedule. Also in 2017, its original air permit expired, after many extensions, and Cronus must now apply for and receive a new air permit before construction can begin. This project has been repeatedly postponed over the years.
UPDATED: 05/14/2018 — see Change Log
OWNER: Northern Plains Nitrogen (NPN)
PROJECT: Greenfield nitrogen fertilizer plant
SUMMARY STATUS: Planning phase
World-scale greenfield project led by farmers' co-ops. Seed capital raise exceeded expectations, January 2014. Water permits approved, December 2014; air permit approved, August 2015. Thereafter, project severely delayed: fund-raising was complicated by the commodity price drop. Awaiting FEED study, EPC contract, and financial close. In April 2018, the project was reportedly still "alive and well ... [although] we’re definitely not where we thought we’d be."
UPDATED: 04/17/2018 — see Change Log
OWNER: US Nitrogen LLC (Austin Powder Company)
PROJECT: Greenfield ammonium nitrate plant
SUMMARY STATUS: Operational
US Nitrogen broke ground in February 2012, when it expected its new plant to start up in March 2014, but the project was fraught with problems. Permits were revised and reissued repeatedly, and the site had major issues with compliance, which appear to continue even today. Construction and design issues led to major delays and lawsuits. The start-up process eventually began in May 2015 but the ammonia plant didn't start up until June 2016. Within a couple months, the site was temporarily shut down under federal and state investigation of permit compliance; more emission mishaps occurred in April 2017. The company announced that the plant was fully operational in January 2017 but, since then, it's not clear whether plant has been producing much product.
UPDATED: 11/05/2015 — see Change Log
OWNER: BioNitrogen (BioNitrogen Holdings Corp)
PROJECT: Greenfield urea plant
SUMMARY STATUS: Financing Phase - in Bankruptcy Protection
This site may yet be developed if one of BioNitrogen's proof-of-concept plants in Florida ever gets built. BioNitrogen entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in November 2015.
UPDATED: 08/08/2018 — see Change Log
OWNER: EuroChem Louisiana LLC (EuroChem Group)
PROJECT: Greenfield nitrogen fertilizer plant
SUMMARY STATUS: Planning phase
EuroChem has been planning an ambitious entry into the US fertilizer industry, developing one of the largest nitrogen complexes on the continent. However, there's been no public news of progress since 2017. The company didn't announce many details but the vast scale of the project was disclosed in permit documents, including applications for air and water permits in 2016, both of which are ongoing. EuroChem announced a MOU toward an EPC contract in April 2015. Awaiting the full EPC award announcement and a final investment decision from EuroChem's board.
UPDATED: 10/23/2017 — see Change Log. No further updates expected.
OWNER: Hydrogen Energy California (HECA), SCS Energy
PROJECT: Greenfield power plant, fertilizer byproduct
SUMMARY STATUS: On hold, indefinitely
Despite years of development, this "clean coal" project never came together. The local oil field backed out, leaving HECA in an existential crisis with no way to sell or sequester its CO2 and, in March 2016, the project put itself on indefinite hold, by withdrawing its application to the CEC.
UPDATED: 11/24/2015 — see Change Log
OWNER: Agrium
PROJECT: Greenfield nitrogen fertilizer plant
SUMMARY STATUS: Cancelled
Agrium abandoned its plans for a world-scale greenfield in June 2013, when the cost estimate approached $3 billion. The company says the project is on hold while it finds a strategic partner and secures a long-term natural gas supply.
UPDATED: 11/24/2014 — see Change Log
OWNER: University of Minnesota
PROJECT: Pilot plant
SUMMARY STATUS: Operational
The Wind-To-Ammonia project at the University of Minnesota is a fully operational pilot plant, demonstrating the feasibility of using renewable energy to produce carbon-free ammonia.
UPDATED: 05/01/2018 — see Change Log
OWNER: Midwest Fertilizer Company LLC (Fatima Group)
PROJECT: Greenfield nitrogen fertilizer complex
SUMMARY STATUS: Planning phase
Major setbacks in 2016, when the EPC contract was awarded and then fell apart following a corruption scandal and a failure to secure equity financing. Major setbacks predicted in 2017 and confirmed in 2018, related to debt financing. Air permits were extended in 2017 but any progress now depends on winning a legal argument with the IRS.
UPDATED: 02/16/2018 — see Change Log
OWNER: Texas Clean Energy Project (Summit Power Group LLC)
PROJECT: Greenfield plant, urea
SUMMARY STATUS: Bankrupt
The Texas Clean Energy Project was going to be a major "clean coal" power plant with significant urea byproduct but DOE effectively killed the project when it suspended funding. Initiated in 2010 and originally scheduled to be completed by 2014, the project continually failed to raise financing for such a long time that the DOE finally withdrew its support in mid-2016. In December 2016, the developers announced one last idea, ditching power generation altogether to focus on urea production but soon after, in October 2017, the company went bankrupt.
UPDATED: 11/05/2015 — see Change Log
OWNER: BioNitrogen (BioNitrogen Holdings Corp)
PROJECT: Greenfield urea plant
SUMMARY STATUS: Financing Phase - in Bankruptcy Protection
BioNitrogen wanted to build up to five of its biomass-to-urea plants in Louisiana. The state allocated tax free bonds and other incentives. Nothing happened. This site may yet be developed if one of BioNitrogen's proof-of-concept plants in Florida ever gets built. BioNitrogen entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in November 2015.
UPDATED: 09/06/2016 — see Change Log
OWNER: Ohio Valley Resources
PROJECT: Greenfield nitrogen fertilizer plant
SUMMARY STATUS: Financing Phase
Air permit was granted in September 2013; extended in March 2015 and extended again in September 2016. Two major companies awarded FEED and EPC in December 2013; agreements now presumed expired. Financing MOUs in place with foreign investors, February 2014; expired. "Finalization of project financing has delayed project construction." Any announcement of a new project sponsor - or project abandonment - is unlikely until the status of other, nearby greenfields is confirmed.
UPDATED: 08/24/2015
OWNER: CHS Inc
PROJECT: Greenfield nitrogen fertilizer plant
SUMMARY STATUS: Cancelled
CHS gave its $3.3 billion greenfield the green light in September 2014, and cancelled it in August 2015. The project faced intractable issues securing an adequate supply of water, and was beset by spiraling costs. CHS is purchasing a minority stake in CF Industries instead.
UPDATED: 11/14/2017 — see Change Log.
OWNER: Iowa Fertilizer Company (OCI NV / Orascom)
PROJECT: Greenfield nitrogen fertilizer plant
SUMMARY STATUS: Operational
OCI announced the start-up of the ammonia plant in April 2017 but, while the site is mechanically complete and all the downstream plants are capable of production above nameplate capacity, the ammonia plant had trouble ramping up and OCI only acknowledged "Provisional Acceptance" of the project in mid-October. Despite OCI's first-mover advantage, the Wever plant is now two years delayed and more than a billion dollars over budget. OCI wanted to do mergers and acquisitions but didn't have much success: it failed to merge with CF Industries in 2016 and failed to buy out its subsidiary, OCI Partners, in 2017.