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Yara International ASA (OSL:YAR) Oslo (2008-11-14): Yara International ASA will temporarily stop production of ammonia and urea at its site in Le Havre, France by early next week. Ammonia and urea production at Yara's site in Sluiskil, Netherlands, will also be reduced temporarily. The timing of restarts will depend on the development in ammonia, urea and natural gas markets.
The plants in Le Havre and Sluiskil transform natural gas into ammonia and urea, which are the main components in the production of nitrogen fertilizers and chemicals. The Le Havre plant has an annual production capacity of 400,000 tons of ammonia and 350,000 tons of urea. The plant in Sluiskil is reducing production equivalent to 900,000 tons of ammonia and 200,000 tons of urea on an annual basis.
The decision to stop production temporarily is related to the current situation in international ammonia and urea markets.
The Le Havre plant will be conserved and on standby for start-up when market conditions improve. Lay-offs are not anticipated, as employees will attend to plant safety and other tasks.
Yara will continue to fulfil customer contracts from built-up stock and alternative product sourcing. This demonstrates the flexibility in Yara's business model, enabling a reduction in energy cost by stopping ammonia production and instead importing cheaper ammonia to Sluiskil as raw material for nitrate production.
The curtailments in Le Havre and Sluiskil, combined with the previously announced stop in Ferrara, reduce Yara's global production by 1.9 million tons ammonia and 1.1 million tons urea on an annual basis. In energy terms these curtailments represent an annualised reduction in natural gas consumption of approximately 65 million MMBtu.
Yara International ASA is a leading chemical company that converts energy, natural minerals and nitrogen from the air into essential products for farmers and industrial customers. As the number one global supplier of mineral fertilizers and agronomic solutions, we help provide food for a growing world population. Our industrial product portfolio includes environmental protection agents that safeguard air and water purity and preserve food quality. Yara's global workforce of more than 8,000 employees represents great diversity and talent enabling Yara to remain a leading performer in its industry. www.yara.com
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