Agrium Inc. this week confirmed that it is indeed eyeing the restart of its long-idled Kenai, Alaska, nitrogen plant. The company has been immersed in a reassessment of the facility this year, but in July downplayed (GM July 8, p. 1) the prospects of returning the plant to near-term production.
This week, however, the company, citing new gas discoveries in the area termed a restart a “no-brainer” if gas is available. Agrium would look to start up the newer of the facilities at Kenai, which would give it 657,000 mt/y of urea and 290,000 mt/y of net ammonia.
Agrium’s timeline calls for a final decision by the end of 2014, with a possible startup in second-half 2016.