Pemex Plans to Restart Agrochemicals Plant in Camargo

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources Latin America (Cordoba, Argentina)--Pemex (Distrito Federal, México) has decided to restart its petrochemical plant in Camargo City, Chihuahua State, Mexico. The decision was based on positive market prospects and the potential to develop a safer and more efficient operation. The plant has been offline since 2002.

Authorities from the petrochemical company have authorized the $13 million investment, which will enable the production of more than 50,000 metric tons per year (mT/yr) of ammonia and carbon dioxide. Construction is planned to kick off by mid-2013, and the restart is expected to take place once the plant is operational by the first quarter of 2014. State-owned Pemex expects to select the construction firm that will be responsible for the project during the second quarter of this year.

The restart of the plant will have a major impact on the region, especially in the fertilizer sector. Fertilizer processing plants in the area were fed from Pemex's raw material, but had to halt their operations when the Camargo plant went offline 10 years ago; these plants now will be restarted. Agrochemical consumption in the agricultural sector will be boosted when the plant restarts; this has encouraged other major investments, such as the revamp of the aqueduct that will feed the state government's ammonia plant.

Pemex authorities say that the investment for the Camargo plant's reactivation is possible thanks to the merging of different company subsidiaries, so as to concentrate on more competitive, profitable business lines and products that have a higher added value, such as ethanol and methanol. The latter has increased its production capacity by 84% during the last seven years.

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