'The Colombia plant will produce low-carbon fertilizers': Yara

With the aim of innovating and turning Colombia into an agricultural power, the fertilizer multinational, Yara, announced the deployment of the manufacturing of low-carbon inputs in the country, as well as the expansion of its production plant.

Miguel Amado, innovation director of Yara in Latin America, explained that with an investment of US$100 million, the production and expansion that would place the country as an important player in the fertilizer market is being formalized.

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They announced launches on Yara, what is it about?

This process that we are carrying out of the introduction of low-carbon fertilizers is already a reality. We formalized before the public opinion the official launch of these inputs that will be produced in the country.

Is it in line with the European Green Deal?

Historically, low-carbon fertilizers are part of Yara's global plan to decarbonize all of its production worldwide, starting in Europe, which is its center of origin and a main manufacturing center.

The technology that we introduced in Colombia that allows us to produce these low-carbon fertilizers is the same one that we use in Europe.

Yara markets part of this technology to other fertilizer manufacturers, so it is fully aligned with European industry standards.

In Colombia today, fertilizers of the highest quality and environmental standard of the European Union are being produced.

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By how much would the carbon footprint be reduced?

At the plant level, estimates are that around 500,000 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent will be stopped each year.

The fertilizers produced in Cartagena will have a 60% lower carbon footprint than they traditionally had.

This will generate an impact of reducing the carbon footprint of agricultural products in a very significant way.

They also announced the expansion of the Cartagena plant…

The expansion project is another of the great news. It will allow production to be increased by about 30%, which is equivalent to 80,000 additional tons of fertilizers.

This number would be added to the existing 300,000 tons of complex fertilizers, 120,000 tons of calcium nitrate, liquid ammonium nitrate and other liquid products for industry.

How much was invested?

The total investments we are making in these projects add up to around US$100 million, including expansion and decarbonization.

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It is an important commitment to reach Colombian agriculture from a global level and to continue trusting the country as a strategic site to produce fertilizers.

Was it an investment by Yara global?

It is an investment that Yara Global gives with those resources so that Yara Colombia can carry out this decarbonization and expansion project.

How are they using gas for supplies?

We are the only ammonia manufacturer in Colombia. This means that since we manufacture ammonia we use natural gas for the production of fertilizers in the country. They are the most important characteristics that explain why we are a local fertilizer producer.

Do you have alliances with coastal gas producers?

We provide natural gas from different agents in the local market. We are a large industrial consumer, but we receive hydrocarbon through Colombian natural gas suppliers.

Do imports of raw materials continue?

What we are doing is a commitment to continue increasing Yara's production capacity in Colombia, which ends up translating into greater capacity in the country to produce fertilizers.

This does not mean that fertilizer imports will be replaced 100%, because a large part of the Colombian market is still limited to selling imported products, but the bet is to increasingly increase national production so that dependence on imports is reduced and contribute much more to the country's food sovereignty.

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How would Colombia participate with respect to Latin America?

In terms of production systems, except for Brazil, Colombia is the only country in Latin America where we have fertilizer manufacturing plants where we produce ammonia from local natural gas.

When we compare Colombia with other markets we have a competitive advantage, not only in the Yara system, but we are also introducing fertilizers made in the country, but with a low carbon footprint.

This really is a reinforcement of Colombian food security, but it also opens up the possibility of positioning the country increasingly as a low-carbon agricultural power.

Will they transition to bioinputs?

Probably. These are lines that are being analyzed and investigated, but today our main focus is on low-carbon mineral fertilizers.

These are the most important bets and those that have the greatest benefits in the short and medium term for the agricultural future.

DIANA K. RODRÍGUEZ T.
Portfolio Journalist