Petrobras approves restart of UFN III fertilizer plant construction in Três Lagoas
- Petrobras approved resumption of UFN III fertilizer unit construction in Três Lagoas
- Completion requires about US$1 billion, with commercial operations scheduled for 2029
- Construction expected to generate about 8,000 jobs
- Nominal capacity ~3,600 t/d urea and ~2,200 t/d ammonia, with 180 t/d surplus for sale
Board decision and timeline
Petrobras Board approved resumption of construction of the UFN III nitrogen fertilizers unit in Três Lagoas on April 13 after a project re-evaluation; continuation had been previously approved in October 2024 and the project is aligned with the company's 2026–2030 Business Plan; contract signings to resume works are expected in the first half of the year and commercial operations are scheduled for 2029.
Investment and employment
Estimated final investment is about US$1 billion and construction is expected to generate roughly 8,000 jobs.
Capacity and market
UFN III nominal capacity is approximately 3,600 t/d of urea and 2,200 t/d of ammonia (with 180 t/d available for sale); its location targets major consumer markets in the Midwest, South and Southeast—primarily Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Goiás, Paraná and São Paulo—supporting domestic urea demand of about 8 million tonnes per year for crops and livestock uses.
Background
The project was hibernated since 2015, re-evaluated from 2023 onward as Petrobras returned to the fertilizers segment.
Source: Petrobras