BATON ROUGE, LA-EuroChem, headquartered in Russia, has announced its intention to build an ammonia and urea production plant in Louisiana that will manufacture and distribute fertilizer products in the US and other markets. The project investment will be approximately $1.5 billion and is anticipated to create 200 new direct jobs and 1,378 new indirect jobs.

Though the Moscow-based agrochemical company has targeted the state for the new plant (which will take four years to build), it hasn't yet determined the exact site. According to the Louisiana Economic Development Division, two sites are in play. One, a state-owned site, in Iberville Parish, is subject to approval by the Natural Resources committees of the Louisiana Legislature. That property has been on the market for more than two years through the Office of State Lands, and EuroChem has deposited $12 million in an escrow account to buy the property, subject to the committee votes.

EuroChem also has secured an option to purchase a private-sector property in St. John the Baptist Parish. Both Mississippi River sites are being evaluated for construction and logistics suitability, and the company will make a final site decision within the next year.