Australian-based Dyno Nobel and Cornerstone Chemical Invest More Than $1 Billion In Waggaman, La., Ammonia Production Facility
04/18/2013
Louisiana Economic Development said Incitec Pivot Ltd. will invest $850 million to build the ammonia plant, providing a commercial foundation for Cornerstone to continue its planned investment of $175 million in maintenance, upgrades and infrastructure expansion at its site over a six-year period. The new Dyno Nobel plant will produce 800,000 metric tons of ammonia per year at Cornerstone Chemical's Fortier Manufacturing Complex on the west bank of the Mississippi River in Jefferson Parish.
Dyno Nobel will develop the anhydrous ammonia plant on a site where an ammonia plant previously operated before closing more than a decade ago. Cornerstone already produces acrylonitrile, melamine and sulfuric acid at the Waggaman complex, and the ammonia plant will be integrated with Cornerstone's existing infrastructure.
The project will create 65 new direct jobs by employing 60 new personnel at Cornerstone Chemical and another five employed at Dyno Nobel. LED estimates the project will result in another 477 new indirect jobs, for a total of more than 540 new jobs. The project will also retain 441 existing Cornerstone jobs. In addition, Dyno Nobel estimates construction employment will peak at 750 jobs over the three-year construction period.
Gov. Bobby Jindal said, "Dyno Nobel's new ammonia facility in Jefferson Parish is proof of Louisiana's outstanding business climate, top-notch workforce and first-class energy infrastructure – including our state's affordable and abundant supply of natural gas. Louisiana is uniquely positioned to provide major supplies of natural gas to critically important energy and chemical manufacturers, and more and more companies are taking notice and investing right here in our state.”
"Incitec Pivot Limited and its U.S.-based operations, Dyno Nobel, are pleased to announce the construction of a world-class ammonia facility in Waggaman, Louisiana," said Incitec Pivot Managing Director and CEO James Fazzino. "This plant will set a new standard in clean, efficient ammonia production and will provide a significant economic benefit to the state and regional communities. We are honored to be a part of the Waggaman, Jefferson Parish and Louisiana communities."
"We are excited to welcome the investment by Incitec Pivot to Louisiana," said Cornerstone Chemical CEO Greg Zoglio. "The U.S. Gulf Coast economic model has changed due to the advent of advanced drilling and extraction techniques and the associated impact on natural gas pricing. Incitec Pivot's foresight of this paradigm shift, coupled with the brownfield offering by Cornerstone Chemical Company and project support provided by the State of Louisiana, will allow the resurgence of world-class ammonia production in the state."
As an incentive to secure the project, the state will offer a competitive incentives package that will include the Industrial Tax Exemption and Quality Jobs programs for Dyno Nobel. Cornerstone Chemical will receive a Modernization Tax Credit of $3 million, payable in five annual installments, along with the services of LED FastStart, the nation's top-ranked state workforce training program. Cornerstone Chemical also is expected to utilize the Industrial Tax Exemption and Quality Jobs programs.
Project Announcements
GE Appliances Expands Jefferson County, Kentucky, Operations
06/30/2025
ValorFlex Packaging Plans Bowling Green, Kentucky, Production Operations
06/30/2025
Neuro.io Plans Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana, Operations
06/30/2025
Germany-Based MTU Maintenance Expands Fort Worth, Texas, MRO Operations
06/30/2025
Cascade Die Casting Group Expands High Point, North Carolina, Manufacturing Operations
06/30/2025
BuildOps Plans Raleigh, North Carolina, Operations
06/30/2025
Most Read
-
20th Annual Area Development Gold and Silver Shovel Awards
Q2 2025
-
First Person: Joe Capes, CEO, LiquidStack
Q2 2025
-
The Legal Limits of DEI in Incentives Agreements, Hiring, and Contracting
Q2 2025
-
From Silicon to Server: Mapping the Data Center Supply Chain
Q2 2025
-
39th Annual Corporate & 21st Annual Consultants Surveys: What Business Leaders and Consultants Are Saying About Site Selection
Q1 2025
-
Rethinking Life Sciences Site Selection in a Resilient and Dynamic Market
Q2 2025
-
Top States for Doing Business in 2024: A Continued Legacy of Excellence
Q3 2024