Rio Grande fertilizer plant investment by Yara

Norwegian chemical firm Yara International is planning to invest $275m to expand and modernise its Rio Grande fertilizer plant in Brazil.

The facility is strategically located in southern Brazil, a key region in the country’s growing agricultural industry. The expansion, set for completion in 2020, is expected to create one of the most modern fertiliser sites in the Americas.

Yara president and CEO Svein Tore Holsether said: “This expansion represents another step in our Brazil growth strategy, further establishing our position in Brazil as a long-term industry player, committed to developing and investing in Brazilian agribusiness.”

The project will double the site’s current 800,000t annual fertiliser production and blending capacity, as well as provide customers with increased access to the company’s premium products.

Expansion is also said to also improve health, environment, safety and quality performance, including substantially lower emissions than required by legislation.

Tore Holsether further noted: “The project is possible thanks to the acquisition of Bunge Fertilizantes in 2013, creating further consolidation synergies through optimization, automation and de-bottlenecking of the combined assets.”

As part of the expansion, the scope of work will include new warehouses, new acidulation and granulation lines, fully automated blending and bagging equipment for small (50kg) and big (1t) bags, a boiler for steam production, a wastewater treatment plant and rest areas for truck drivers.

The plant already operates its own recently modernised and expanded pier, which is connected to the railway network and the industrial complex.

The expanded facility is expected to create more than a thousand direct and a further three to four thousand indirect employment opportunities.

Source: www.chemicals-technology.com