Brazil’s Unigel Group confirmed that it has launched production at one of two nitrogen fertilizer plants acquired from Petrobras last year. Unigel, through its wholly-owned Proquigel Química subsidiary, secured full possession of the leases of Petrobras’ nitrogen fertilizer plants in Bahia (Fafen-BA) and Sergipe (Fafen-SE) in August (GM Aug. 14, 2020).
Unigel Commercial Director Wendell Souza confirmed that the Sergipe factory launched production in early April after a period of general maintenance and commissioning. He said ammonia production at the site is already stabilized, while the urea lines are still under final refinements.
Unigel Group CEO Roberto Noronha Santos indicated at the time of the completion of the leasing process that the reactivation of the two units was expected to occur in January 2021. More recently, the company reported that it planned to start urea production in February (GM Jan. 29, p. 1).
Unigel earlier reported that it expects to be the largest producer of ammonia and urea in Brazil in 2021, according to a statement by New York City-based international law firm Simpson Thacher. Unigel is also Brazil’s largest national producer of ammonium sulfate, with one 400,000 mt/y production site.
Fafen-BA has an installed urea production capacity of 1,300 mt/d, with the ability to sell ammonia, carbon dioxide, and automotive liquid reducing agent (Arla 32). The Sergipe unit has an installed urea production capacity of 1,800 mt/d, and can sell ammonia, carbon dioxide, and ammonium sulfate.