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CHS and OCP North America plan phosphate fertilizer plant in Louisiana
The proposed facility would produce more than 1 million tonnes annually and would be the first US phosphate plant built in 42 years, with the goal of cutting imported fertilizer reliance by over 48%.
CHS, a farmer-owned cooperative, and OCP North America, a subsidiary of the OCP Group, are preparing to build and operate a phosphate-based fertilizer production facility through a proposed joint venture at the Cornerstone Energy Park in Waggaman, Louisiana.
World Grain reports the plant is expected to produce over 1 million tonnes of phosphate fertilizer per year and would be the first of its kind constructed in the United States since 1984. The companies said US farmers rely on phosphate fertilizer as phosphate reserves decline, and that the US currently imports about 40% of the phosphate-based fertilizer used by farmers.
The firms said bringing additional capacity online could reduce US dependence on imported phosphate-based fertilizer by more than 48%, strengthening the domestic fertilizer supply chain. The project would be supplied with phosphoric acid from the OCP Group, and finished fertilizer products would be distributed through OCP North America and CHS’s crop nutrients network.
If approved, the companies said the project is expected to create approximately 60 permanent jobs in Jefferson Parish, along with 500 construction jobs. World Grain also reports the location is intended to provide access to raw materials and transport via the Mississippi River system.