Petrobras reactivates its fertilizer plant in Brazil

Petrobras announced approval from its Executive Board to resume operations at the Araucária Nitrogenados S.A. (ANSA) fertilizer plant, located in Paraná, Brazil. This facility, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Petrobras, has been inactive since 2020 but is set to restart operations in the second half of 2025.

The reactivation is part of an initiative that stems from Petrobras’s revised strategic guidelines, which were updated last year to reincorporate fertilizer production into its portfolio as outlined in the 2024 – 2028+ Strategic Plan. The plan’s emphasis on domestic fertilizer production reflects a broader strategy to enhance national self-sufficiency in critical agricultural inputs.

ANSA, situated adjacent to the Presidente Getúlio Vargas Refinery (REPAR), boasts significant production capacities, capable of producing 720,000 tons of urea, 475,000 tons of ammonia, and 450,000 m³ of Automotive Liquid Reducing Agent (ARLA 32) annually.

The process for the plant’s reopening will commence immediately, including the issuance of notices for the contracting of essential maintenance services and critical materials. Additionally, Petrobras has granted ANSA the authorization to negotiate to rehire its former employees, pending the approval of these agreements by the Superior Labor Court (TST).