Yara eyes DEF, TAN for Belle Plaine

Oslo — Yara International ASA recently told analysts that it is considering significant DEF (diesel exhaust fluid) and TAN (technical grade ammonium nitrate) capacity at a new Belle Plaine, Sask., nitrogen plant. Yara acknowledges such expansions would be more expensive; however, sources note growing DEF and explosives markets in North America, though the latter suffered in the U.S. this past quarter due to a mild winter and lower coal demand. Yara told Green Markets back in February that the new world-class expansion could mean an additional 1.3 million mt/y of urea and 800,000 mt/y of ammonia (GM Feb. 13, p. 1). Yara hopes to make a decision on its Belle Plaine expansion this summer. The existing Yara Belle Plaine nitrogen plant expects to take a one-month turnaround this summer, beginning in late June. Current, capacity at the site is 1 million mt/y urea, 700,000 mt/y ammonia, and 200,000 mt/y UAN. Agrium President and CEO Michael Wilson told analysts that he is not worried about new capacity from Yara. “The impact would be there’s more supply, but it would replace from our perspective imports into the U.S. from outside of Canada. And Yara hasn’t built the plant yet. It is quite expensive to build facilities in Saskatchewan and Alberta.”