Louisiana regulators gave an initial green light to a new ammonia production facility west of New Orleans.

On July 19, 2024, the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) proposed a draft initial construction permit for the St. Rose Blue Ammonia Facility in St. Charles Parish, Louisiana. If fully constructed, the facility could produce up to 8,000 metric tons of ammonia per day from natural gas. Ammonia is a key ingredient in synthetic fertilizer and increasingly seen as a potential alternative fuel.

The company behind the project, St. Charles Clean Fuels, claims it will capture up to 99 percent of the carbon dioxide from the plant. However, the minor source permit for this plant will set no limits on carbon emissions or capture rates. 

LDEQ has scheduled a public hearing on Sept. 26, 2024, at 6 p.m. local time at the St. Charles Parish Library – St. Rose Branch, 90 East Club Drive, St. Rose, LA 70087. LDEQ is accepting public comments on the draft permit until Sept. 30, 2024. Please see the public notice and draft permit package for more information.

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