Agrium says ESN project construction has begun

Calgary—Agrium Inc. said March 2 that construction has begun on the expansion project at Agrium Advanced Technologies’ ESN® facility in New Madrid, Mo. (GM Feb. 27, p. 8). The expansion is expected to more than double existing annual production capacity, adding an additional 150,000 st in ESN production and bringing total annual capacity to 270,000 st at the New Madrid facility. Total ESN capacity for AAT will be 512,000 st after the New Madrid expansion. Capital expenditure for the project is expected to be approximately $28-million. The construction is expected to be completed by the third quarter of 2012, with full operational capability expected at that time. ESN is a urea granule covered by a flexible, micro-thin polymer coating. Soil moisture moves into the granule and dissolves the urea inside, and the urea solution moves out into the soil at a rate determined by soil temperature. As the soil warms and crop growth increases, the granules release nitrogen more quickly to keep up with greater crop demand. As a result, Agrium says the controlled-release technology of ESN delivers the right amount of nitrogen to crops throughout the growing season, resulting in better crop quality and higher yield while also protecting nitrogen from loss to leaching, volatilization and denitrification.