Long distance ammonia transportation
Rail, road, ship or pipelines all bring different benefits and risks to long distance transport of ammonia, but the fundamentals of ammonia safety remain a constant.
Rail, road, ship or pipelines all bring different benefits and risks to long distance transport of ammonia, but the fundamentals of ammonia safety remain a constant.
Ammonia values have continued to ease across most regions at the end of June, as the first ammonia vessels begin to exit the Gulf since the Iranian conflict began. Iranian ammonia had also begun to flow to India following the US Treasury’s issuance of a 60-day sanctions waiver on 22 June, allowing dollar-denominated trade in Iranian petrochemical products through 21 August. As a result, Indian bids have been heard as low as $750/t c.fr, as buyers benefit from a widening pool of available supply - Iranian, Chinese and renewed Southeast Asian material are all competing for the same business.
• Ammonia prices are expected to maintain their current downward trajectory, with the pace of correction likely to accelerate as the supply picture improves. Confirmed trades at materially lower levels remain limited, but the direction of sentiment is clearly softer.
Petrobras PBR has said that it plans to restart construction of the long-delayed UFN-III fertilizer plant in Três Lagoas, Mato Grosso do Sul, with work at the site expected to resume by September. UFN-III, with a planned capacity of 2,200 t/d of ammonia and 3,600 t/d of urea, was partially completed in the 2010s, but the site has been inactive and unfinished since 2015. Petrobras now intends to complete the project with an estimated investment of $1 billion, targeting commercial operations by 2029. The site was chosen as it was strategically positioned near several of Brazil’s largest agribusiness regions, including Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Goiás, Paraná and São Paulo.
The government of Kazakhstan says that the country will build its first ammonia-urea plant at Aktau, in the Mangistau region, with a total investment cost put at $1.6 billion.The Kazakh Industry and Construction Ministry and KazAzot PRIME have signed an investment agreement for the construction of the complex, with commissioning scheduled for 2030. Plant capacity is expected to be 660,000 t/a of ammonia, 580,000 t/a of urea and 500,000 t/a of ammonium nitrate. The government says that the plant will reduce import dependence, supply domestic farmers, and strengthen export potential. By 2030, Kazakhstan’s ammonia production capacity is projected to reach 2.3 million t/a, ensuring self-sufficiency and export growth.
Sabic is expected to make a final investment decision (FID) soon on construction of a seventh ammonia-urea plant, at Jubail Industrial City, according to local press reports. The new plant is expected to produce 1.2 million t/a of gas-based ammonia and 2.6 million t/a of urea. Feedstock allocation for the plant was approved by the Ministry of Energy in March. However, plans reportedly remain dependent on securing a long-term offtake agreement.
Yara International has reached an agreement to acquire Gulf Coast Ammonia’s (GCA) ammonia production facility in Texas City, Texas from GCA Holdings LLC, for a consideration of $ 1.3 billion. Yara says that the acquisition is part of its strategy to diversify its energy exposure and enhance the competitiveness of its global ammonia production footprint. Yara will own the ammonia plant with an expected nameplate capacity of 1.3 million t/a, with Air Products supplying industrial gases to Yara as part of a long-term supply agreement. Yara will use its midstream ammonia platform to supply both external customers and its own internal sourcing needs.
Price trends and market outlook, 17th June 2026.
Amufert has appointed a new Board of Directors as its gas‑based ammonia and urea complex in Soyo, Zaire Province moves from planning into the execution phase, with operations targeted to begin in 2027.
The 34th IFA Annual Conference in Monaco is a natural place to talk about nitrogen – not just as a commodity, but as a system shaped by technology, policy and geopolitics.