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Nitrogen+Syngas 401 May-Jun 2026

20 May 2026

Sable to resume AN production after 3-year closure

ZIMBABWE

Sable to resume AN production after 3-year closure

Zimbabwe’s sole domestic AN producer, Sable Chemical Industries Limited, is set to resume production in May following a capital injection from the Mutapa Investment Fund, according to local news platform The Herald on 24 March. The Kwekwe-based facility has been closed for approximately three years, with the government having launched a five-year roadmap aimed at reducing fertilizer imports.

The restart comes at a critical time for Zimbabwe’s agricultural sector. With AN the dominant nitrogen fertilizer among Zimbabwean farmers, the country has been heavily reliant on imported supply, predominantly from Russia, leaving it exposed to the global AN supply squeeze that has intensified in early 2026. Logistical challenges associated with sourcing Russian AN, including extended lead times and elevated freight costs, have contributed to an AN shortage earlier in the year, placing significant pressure on farmers ahead of the planting season.

Sable Chemical’s Chief Executive Officer Harrison Shumba confirmed that electricity and water supply have been restored, with major mechanical maintenance and certification work currently under way. Maintenance is expected to be completed around 24-25 April, with the first bags of fertilizer available in the first or second week of May and stable operations anticipated from the beginning of June. The company aims to produce 240,000 t/a of AN against a national requirement of approximately 380,000 t/a.

Separately, China’s Xintai has said that it plans to allocate $200 million towards a new nitrogen fertilizer plant in Zimbabwe, according to Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Industry and Commerce. The complex will have capacity to produce 200,000 t/a urea and 200,000 t/a ammonium nitrate (AN), the Ministry said, with construction slated to begin in June 2026. Initial production is scheduled for 2027.

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