Bras\u00edlia \u2013 Brazilian President Luiz In\u00e1cio Lula da Silva signed contracts on Thursday (25) for the completion of Nitrogen Fertilizer Plant III (UFN-III) in Tr\u00eas Lagoas, Mato Grosso do Sul state. The facility is part of the New Growth Acceleration Program (PAC) and is expected to receive more than BRL 5 billion [USD 1 billion] in investments to complete construction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The project, which has been stalled since 2015, was cleared to resume after state-run oil company Petrobras conducted a new technical and economic assessment confirming its feasibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNow it\u2019s really happening. It should have started much earlier,\u201d Lula said during the ceremony. \u201cYou can be sure this country will build its sovereignty by becoming independent from fertilizer imports. Just wait and see what happens,\u201d the president added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to a statement from the Presidential Office, once commercial operations begin\u2014expected in 2029\u2014the facility will have the capacity to produce 3,600 metric tons of granular urea and 2,200 metric tons of ammonia per day, totaling about 1.3 million metric tons of urea annually, equivalent to approximately 16% of Brazil\u2019s domestic demand for the fertilizer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Also according to the Presidential Office, the plant\u2019s location is considered strategic, as Brazil\u2019s Central-West region accounts for about 40% of the country\u2019s urea demand, driven primarily by corn, sugarcane, cotton, and pasture production.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Petrobras\u2019 fertilizer portfolio under the New PAC currently includes four facilities: Fafen-BA, Fafen-SE, ANSA, and UFN-III. \u201cOnce these plants are operational, the state-owned company expects to supply about 35% of Brazil\u2019s domestic urea market by 2029. Before production resumed at these facilities, 100% of the urea consumed in the country was imported,\u201d the Presidential Office said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read also<\/em>: Translated by Guilherme Miranda<\/strong><\/p>\n
Global fertilizer trade down 30%<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n