Oslo-Yara International ASA said Oct. 24 that on Nov. 1, 2008, it will temporarily stop production of urea and ammonia at its site in Ferrara, Italy. The plant, which transforms natural gas into ammonia and urea, has an annual production capacity of 600,000 mt of ammonia and 500,000 mt of urea. The decision to stop production temporarily is related to the current situation in international urea markets, where lower activity and price levels have impacted profitability. The Ferrara plant will be conserved and on standby for start-up when market conditions improve. Lay-offs are not anticipated, as employees will attend to plant safety and other tasks within the group. In the meantime, Yara says it will continue to fulfill customer contracts from built-up stock and alternative product sourcing.
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