Nutrien Shuts 5 Trinidad Nitrogen Plants Indefinitely

ENERGY · TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

Canadian fertiliser group Nutrien said on Monday 5 October it will indefinitely shut its nitrogen complex at Point Lisas in Trinidad and Tobago. The Nutrien shutdown turns a year-long pause at four ammonia plants and one urea plant into an open-ended closure. It matters in the United States because Trinidad and Tobago supplied 47% of US ammonia imports between 2021 and 2024, the US Geological Survey says.

Nutrien, based in Saskatoon and listed in New York and Toronto under the ticker NTR, blamed “ongoing natural gas constraints and uncertainty”. It called the closure “the optimal path to enhance free cash flow and return on invested capital.”

About 350 employees now face retrenchment, the Trinidad Guardian reported. Workers were told at a staff meeting, and the company plans to wind down the business by year-end, the paper said. Nutrien’s own statement gave no job figure.

A Closure a Year in the Making

Production stopped on Thursday 23 October 2025, when Nutrien began a controlled shutdown. The company cited port access restrictions and “a lack of reliable and economic natural gas supply”.

The US Geological Survey says the port restrictions were imposed by the National Energy Corporation, a state company. Before the shutdown, the complex produced about 85,000 tons of ammonia and 55,000 tons of urea a month, the agency said.

The site is one of the largest ammonia complexes in the world, according to the Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries. Its four ammonia plants, built between 1981 and 1998, have a combined capacity of about 1.79 million tonnes a year.

Within days of the 2025 shutdown, about 350 contract workers were sent home while permanent staff stayed on. In January, the state-owned National Gas Company (NGC) isolated the gas meters at the plant after Nutrien’s supply agreement expired on 1 January, local media reported.

The two sides tell different stories. On 2 January, NGC said Nutrien chose “to hold this country to ransom” to keep “legacy pier user rates” and win a long-term gas contract, Newsday reported. NGC said Nutrien had been allowed to keep the old pier rates until the end of 2025.

A separate dispute over port fees is still open. In May, the Trinidad Guardian reported that National Energy had cut its claim against Nutrien to about US$23 million.

“We greatly appreciate the contributions and dedication of our Trinidad team and are committed to managing the transition responsibly and safely,” said Dean Perkins, Nutrien’s senior vice-president for upstream, nitrogen and proprietary product operations.

Business Groups Warn, Opposition Blames Government

The Energy Chamber of Trinidad and Tobago, which represents companies in the sector, warned of lost jobs, export earnings, foreign exchange and tax revenue. It said skilled workers may leave the industry, and that investor confidence in Point Lisas could suffer.

The chamber also pointed to a stabiliser. It said gas supply is projected to improve from 2028. It welcomed NGC’s efforts to secure extra gas from EOG’s Coconut field and its investment in the Manakin project.

“It’s a worrying situation that has arisen for us in South Trinidad. It will affect small businesses,” said Kiran Singh, president of the Greater San Fernando Area Chamber of Commerce.

Stuart Young, a former prime minister and energy minister from the opposition People’s National Movement (PNM), blamed the government. He said the closure showed the “incompetence” of the coalition led by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s United National Congress (UNC).

Persad-Bissessar rejected the blame on Monday. “It is Nutrien who made the decision to send them home,” she told the Trinidad Guardian. She said NGC “will no longer sell its gas at prices that are not beneficial to the company.”

Energy Minister Roodal Moonilal said NGC had offered to buy the complex, and that a restart remains a priority under Nutrien or another operator. He denied that a gas shortage drove the decision, the paper reported.

In November 2025, Persad-Bissessar met Nutrien chief executive Ken Seitz and reaffirmed a commitment to “protecting jobs”, according to a post on the UNC’s social media pages reported by Newsday.

For background on the country’s gas economy, see Trinidad and Tobago Explained: Gas, Politics, the Two Islands and What to Watch. For the job market, see Trinidad and Tobago Unemployment Rises to 5.4%.

What It Means for You

For US farmers and fertiliser buyers, the direct effect of the Nutrien shutdown is limited. The plants have produced nothing for almost a year, so their output was already missing from the market. Nutrien said it will meet demand by growing output at its North American plants.

The wider picture is steadier than the headline suggests. The United States produced an estimated 14 million tonnes of ammonia, by nitrogen content, in 2025. Net imports covered only about 5% of consumption, the US Geological Survey estimates.

The risk lies in Trinidad itself. Other ammonia producers still operate at Point Lisas. If gas stays short, the Energy Chamber warns, more industrial capacity could be idled.

For investors in Nutrien, the company said there is no change to its 2026 nitrogen sales volume guidance. For Trinidad and Tobago, the Nutrien shutdown means less foreign exchange at a time when it is already under pressure, the chamber said. The prime minister disputes this, saying the gas will go to other plants.

What Is Not Known

Nutrien has not published the number of jobs affected or the severance terms. The figure of about 350 comes from local reporting.

The company said “indefinitely”, not permanently. It has not said whether it would sell the site or restart it if gas supply improves.

It is also unclear whether the port-fee dispute with National Energy has been settled, and whether NGC’s offer to buy the complex is still open.

Why is Nutrien shutting its Trinidad plants?

Nutrien cited ongoing natural gas constraints and uncertainty. The plants have been idle since 23 October 2025 after disputes over port access and gas supply.

Will the Nutrien shutdown raise US fertiliser prices?

Not on its own. The plants have produced nothing for almost a year, and Nutrien says its North American plants will meet demand.

How many jobs are affected?

Local reporting puts the figure at about 350 employees. Nutrien has not published a number.

Sources: Nutrien release, 5 October 2026 · US Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Nitrogen · Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries: Ammonia · guardian.co.tt: 350 more jobs on the line · guardian.co.tt: Energy Chamber warns · guardian.co.tt: PM: Don’t blame us for Nutrien shutdown · Newsday: NGC on shutdown · Newsday: PM holds talks with Nutrien · Jamaica Observer (CMC): Canadian company ends operations in Trinidad

This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief

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