Brazil’s Unigel Participacoes on Nov. 14 said it will reverse the prior notice to employees at its Camaçari nitrogen plant in Bahia that it would suspend production at the plant (GM Nov. 10, p. 32).
Unigel said it continues to negotiate to make the unit’s operation viable and remains confident that a good solution will be reached by the parties. The company said the earlier suspension announcement was made due to macroeconomic market challenges. Unigel President Roberto Noronha Santos said the petrochemical sector is going through the worst crisis in years.
“In parallel to this, competitive conditions in the international market make everything even more complex,” Santos said. “Even so, we never gave up and remained firm in our intention to continue producing nitrogen fertilizers, a raw material necessary for the country. Workers will be maintained and we will resume production at Camaçari as soon as possible.”
Unigel said negotiations continue with Petrobras focusing on projects for the production of renewable energy and fertilizers.