CF Industries to invest $185.5M at Ascension Parish plant

CF Industries today announced it plans to invest $198.5 million to construct a CO2 compression and dehydration unit at its Ascension Parish plant in an effort to reduce carbon emissions at what it says is the largest ammonia production facility in the world.

The project would create 12 new direct jobs with average salaries of $100,000 per year plus benefits. CF Industries would retain 521 existing jobs in the Capital Region.

CF Industries estimates this project will enable up to 6,000 tons of process CO2 per day—as much as 2 million tons per year—to be captured, liquefied and transported via pipeline to a sequestration site yet to be determined.

This process would enable the company to produce up to 1.7 million tons of blue ammonia annually. A chemical process is considered “blue” when CO2 emissions are captured before their release into the air, making the process more carbon neutral. Blue ammonia is seen as a key clean energy source for the energy transition since its components—nitrogen and hydrogen—do not emit carbon when combusted.

The project is the second announced this year by a Louisiana company aimed at reducing existing greenhouse gas emissions. Cleco’s announcement in April of a $900 million investment to add carbon capture and sequestration to its Boyce power plant.

CF Industries’ application for participation in the state’s Industrial Tax Exemption Program has received approval from the Board of Commerce and Industry as well as from all necessary local government entities. The company is also expected to utilize the state’s performance-based Quality Jobs program. See the announcement.