In Brief
- Production Rebound: Ammonia output from Trinidad and Tobago’s six active plants rose by 9.7 per cent in the first quarter of this year, partially recovering volumes lost following the shutdown of Nutrien’s operations.
- Key Drivers: Production was driven largely by Tringen II and Point Lisas Nitrogen Limited, though overall national output remained 25.8 per cent lower than Q1 2025 due to Nutrien’s closure.
- Export Dip: Total ammonia exports fell by 22.4 per cent year-on-year. However, excluding Nutrien’s historic figures, exports from the remaining operational plants actually increased by 4 per cent.
- Supply Secured: The National Gas Company (NGC) successfully finalised new gas supply agreements with several major plants to guarantee continued production throughout the quarter.
(CMC) – The Energy Chamber of Trinidad and Tobago reported on Monday that ammonia output from the six active Trinidad and Tobago plants rose by 9.7 per cent in the first quarter of this year, recovering part of the volume lost when Nutrien shut its Point Lisas operations.
It said that these plants produced 813,652 metric tonnes (MT), up from 741,397 MT a year earlier, representing an increase of 72,255 MT. Measured against the country’s full first-quarter 2025 total of 1,096,475 MT, however, overall output was down 25.8 per cent. Nutrien’s four ammonia plants were shut down during the quarter; in the first three months of 2025, they had turned out 355,078 MT.
The Chamber reported that production was relatively steady in January and February before rising to 282,283 MT in March, marking the strongest month of the quarter and a significant improvement from the end of 2025.
Tringen II accounted for most of the year-on-year gain. Its output climbed 72.3 per cent to 134,221 MT from 77,908 MT, an increase of 56,313 MT.
Point Lisas Nitrogen Limited was the largest single producer during the quarter, with output rising 18.1 per cent from a year earlier. Nitrogen 2000 Unlimited and Tringen I also recorded higher production, rising by 9.8 per cent and 10.6 per cent, respectively.
Two plants moved in the opposite direction. Caribbean Nitrogen Company Limited produced 93,508 MT, down 23.7 per cent from 122,477 MT. Output from the AUM ammonia plant eased 3 per cent to 153,086 MT.
The Chamber noted that several of the plants secured new gas supplies during and after the quarter. The National Gas Company of Trinidad and Tobago Limited (NGC) completed a contract with Point Lisas Nitrogen Limited in March, guaranteeing continued natural gas supply to the plant. On March 16, NGC also executed a gas sales contract with Trinidad Nitrogen Company Limited, the operator of Tringen I and Tringen II.
In May, the state company announced it had recently concluded agreements covering Caribbean Nitrogen Company Limited and Nitrogen 2000 Unlimited.
Exports, however, fell. Trinidad and Tobago shipped 671,676 MT of ammonia in the first quarter, against 866,022 MT a year earlier, marking a decline of 22.4 per cent. Excluding Nutrien, exports were 4 per cent higher, up from 645,702 MT. Nutrien exported nothing in the quarter, having previously shipped 220,320 MT in the first three months of 2025.
The country remains a significant supplier to the United States. International media, citing United States Geological Survey data, reported that Trinidad and Tobago was the second-largest source of US ammonia imports in 2024, accounting for 37 per cent of the total.
Nutrien completed a controlled shutdown of its Trinidad operations on October 23, 2025, citing port access restrictions imposed by the National Energy Corporation and the absence of a reliable and economic natural gas supply.
The company reported safe-mode costs tied to the shutdown in its second-quarter 2026 results and stated it remained on track to “solidify the optimal path,” for the facility during 2026.
