AdvanSix (Parsippany, New Jersey) announced that it has been awarded an approximately $12 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) through the Fertilizer Production Expansion Program (FPEP) supporting the expansion of innovative American fertilizer production strengthening domestic supply chains of fertilizers, and creating economic opportunities for American businesses.
“We’re grateful to the USDA for recognizing our potential with this grant and the ability we have to make a difference for farmers across the country,” said Mike Hamilton, Vice President and Business Director of Plant Nutrients at AdvanSix. “This funding will support AdvanSix’s strategy to increase our production capacity of premium grade product and make investments that will have true material impact in helping to nourish the world.”
Through this grant, AdvanSix will further advance its Sustainable U.S. Sulfate to Accelerate Increased Nutrition (SUSTAIN) initiative at its site in Hopewell, VA where ammonium sulfate fertilizer is currently produced. SUSTAIN is a series of projects with multi-year investments from AdvanSix which is targeting no net increase in energy consumption or emissions. These projects are designed to build on the facility’s nearly 100-year history of providing a reliable, domestic supply of essential nitrogen-based fertilizers, while also keeping environmental stewardship at its core.
AdvanSix ammonium sulfate is made in America and directly supports over 800 high paying jobs in central Virginia. Ammonium sulfate is the preferred product for incorporation of sulfur nutrition into dry bulk fertilizer blends, the largest application method in North America. The SUSTAIN initiative is expected to add approximately 200,000 tons per year of granular Ammonium Sulfate to the domestic market predominately through increased granular conversion and improved shipping logistics capability for rail and truck. AdvanSix plans to continue building upon the work supported by the FPEP to support growing market demand for sustainable, high quality sulfur nutrition. The USDA grant funding will be allocated as AdvanSix reaches specific milestones and will supplement AdvanSix’s investment in funds and resources.