Nutrien Shuts Trinidad Nitrogen Plants Amid Gas Shortages

Nutrien, a Canadian fertilizer giant, has decided to permanently shut down its nitrogen operations in Trinidad due to ongoing natural gas shortages, port restrictions, and worsening economic conditions. The company’s Point Lisas complex, which halted production in October 2025, will not reopen after efforts to restore operations failed. The facility previously produced up to 85,000 tonnes of anhydrous ammonia and 55,000 tonnes of urea monthly, but declining natural gas supply in Trinidad made it unsustainable.

Trinidad and Tobago’s natural gas production has dropped by 42% from its peak, leaving insufficient feedstock for Nutrien’s four ammonia plants. By 2024, the company reported that only three plants could operate due to gas constraints. The situation worsened in 2025 when the National Gas Company (NGC) sought to impose higher port fees and recover $28 million in retroactive charges. Nutrien deemed the charges unfair and sought a resolution before settling the dispute.

The conflict escalated when NGC restricted Nutrien’s port access, forcing the shutdown. Although NGC later withdrew its claim and offered to restore access, Nutrien concluded that the underlying economic challenges remained unresolved. The company’s natural gas supply contract expired on January 1, 2026, making the closure inevitable. The move will reduce Trinidad’s nitrogen production capacity, which has already fallen from over one million tonnes in early 2025 to around 800,000 tonnes by early 2026.

The closure will impact ammonia and urea supplies, potentially increasing prices if competing producers cannot fill the gap. However, Nutrien’s 2026 sales guidance remains unchanged, as the forecast already excluded Trinidad’s output. The company’s remaining nitrogen operations will now focus on facilities in the U.S. and Canada, where operating conditions are more sustainable.