Brazil imports more than 95% of its nitrogen fertilizers. The country’s importance in global food production will only grow. Atlas Agro will build local nitrogen fertilizer production based on the country’s abundant resources of solar and wind to produce renewable energy, substituting imported grey fertilizers. Atlas Agro’s Uberaba Green Fertilizer (UGF) will be the first of its kind in the southern hemisphere.
UGF will be located in the industrial complex in Uberaba, Uberaba Green Fertilizer. The plant will utilize air, water, and renewable electricity as the only raw materials. Renewable electricity is used to produce green hydrogen through electrolysis of water. This hydrogen will then be transformed into ammonia and nitric acid to produce zero-carbon granulated and liquid ammonium nitrate (AN).
Green nitrogen fertilizer from UGF will substitute imported, grey fertilizers made from natural gas and coal. It will enable Brazilian farmers to lead the way in a new generation of sustainable farming. AN is also technically superior to urea. AN is directly consumed by crops, requires no nitrification in the soil, and is compatible with precision farming techniques. This results in higher crop yields and quality, reduced environmental impact, and potential for green crop premiums.
The plant will produce more than 500.000 tons of ammonium nitrate (AN) annually. Front-End Engineering and Design (FEED) will commence in the first half of 2024. Final Investment Decision is expected to be taken in 2025 with production start in 2028. The total investment is estimated to approximately US$ 1 billion.
Project
Uberaba Green Fertilizer
Location
Ubaraba, Brazil
