Koch project to break ground in September
Koch Nitrogen Co. LLC will begin construction in mid-September on a previously-announced $1.3 billion expansion project at its Enid, Okla., facility. The project will be implemented over the next three years and will increase production capacity by more than 1 million tons per year.
The expansion project is comprised of a number of projects, including: Construction of a 900,000 ton-per-year urea plant; efficiency improvements and capacity increases to existing ammonia plants; and added capability to produce high-purity urea to serve the diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) market; construction of high-speed truck and rail loading facilities, complementing the existing access of the Burlington Northern and Union Pacific railroads; construction of an additional 90,000 tons of urea storage capacity; construction of infrastructure to process water discharged from the city of Enid’s wastewater treatment plant, substantially reducing the facility’s use of drinking water; and construction of an electric power substation to supply new power and improve the reliability of existing power to the facility.
“This investment by Koch Nitrogen is one of the largest construction projects in the history of Koch Industries,” said David Robertson, president and chief operating officer of Koch Industries Inc. “It reflects the ongoing growth of our fertilizer business and underscores our commitment to innovation and creating long-term value.”
The project will employ up to 1,000 contractors during the 18-24 months of construction. In addition, 50-60 permanent employees will be added to support the expanded facilities.
“These improvements and additions to our Enid facility will significantly enhance our current operations and allow us to meet our customers’ needs in a more efficient and effective manner,” said Chase Koch, president, Koch Fertilizer LLC. “We appreciate our positive working relationship with the State of Oklahoma, the Garfield County Board of Commissioners, the Enid Regional Development Alliance and the city of Enid. We are looking forward to breaking ground on this important investment.”
The following companies are participating in the project: Black & Veatch, a global engineering, consulting and construction company, is providing project planning, engineering and procurement services; KBR, a global engineering, construction and services company, has been selected to provide urea engineering and procurement services and overall construction management; and Stamicarbon, the global market leader in licensing of urea technology and services, is providing the urea synthesis and granulation technology.
The Koch Nitrogen facility in Enid is one of the largest fertilizer production plants in North America, producing ammonia, UAN (liquid fertilizer) and granular urea. It was built in 1974 and purchased by Koch Nitrogen in 2003. The site currently employs more than 150 people in the fields of engineering, operations and maintenance.