Dyno Nobel Studies Louisiana Ammonia

Dyno Nobel is exploring construction of an $800 million facility in Waggaman, La., that would produce 750,000 metric tons of ammonia per year by late 2015. The plant would be built at an existing complex owned by Cornerstone Chemical, the former basic chemicals business of Cytec Industries. The site included an ammonia plant until about a decade ago; today it produces acrylonitrile, melamine, and sulfuric acid. In announcing a $30 million study of the ammonia project, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal said more and more companies are recognizing Louisiana as positioned to supply industrial facilities with low-cost natural gas. Dyno Nobel is the North American subsidiary of Incitec Pivot, an Australian firm that produces ammonia as a fertilizer and as a raw material for explosives.