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$750 million “eco-friendly” fertilizer plant announced for Central Nebraska

A start-up company says it’s developing an eco-friendly $750 million fertilizer plant that will increase supplies for the Western Corn Belt and produce zero-carbon ammonia.

Farmer Andy Jobman says Project Meadowlark’s facility in the Central-Nebraska town of Gothenburg will diversify the region’s fertilizer production. “We’ve fought a lot of high prices and volatile prices in the last few years.  Hopefully this additional source will create some stability and opportunities for lower prices.”

The new factory by JWC Gburg LLC says it will produce an additional 350,000 tons of urea ammonium nitrate (UAN) per year and 140,000 tons of ammonium thiosulfate (ATS).

Jobman says there should be enough demand from producers.  “Our particular area, two years of corn and one year of soybeans is a pretty common rotation.”  

The company says it will achieve net negative emissions through a zero-carbon production process that utilizes liquefied CO2and reduce transportation emissions.

Jobman says another benefit is the plant will produce diesel exhaust fluid. “With more and more trucks on the road using that along with ag and construction equipment, that is going to be a pretty lucrative side of the production facility.”

The company says it will use liquid CO2 waste from ethanol or power plants, water from Gothenburg’s wastewater plant, some groundwater, and electricity from renewable sources to produce cleaner products.

A timeline for the project was not available.