Ammonia: Production
Why China's coal-based plants make a third of it
Why China's coal-based plants make a third of it What this tab covers Who makes it and how much: world capacity and output, utilisation, the top producing countries and companies globally and in India, concentration, new capacity coming, and each region's position.| Measure | Figure | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| World capacity | not published in sources reached; US plants ran at about 80% of rated capacity (2025) | USGS MCS 2026 | |
| World output | 190.5 Mt NH3 (2024); 160 Mt N (2025e) | IFA via DTN (Dec 2025); USGS MCS 2026 | |
| Capacity utilisation | US about 80% (2025); Indian urea-linked plants above 100% of reassessed capacity | European plants cut runs whenever TTF spikes; Nutrien shut its Trinidad plant in October 2025 (85 kt ammonia a month) over gas and port access. | USGS MCS 2026; nitrogen tile |
| Concentration | China 30.6%; top-3 (China, India, Russia) 49.4%; largest company (CF Industries, 10.1 Mt) about 5% | Production is spread; exports are more concentrated: Trinidad, Saudi Arabia, Canada and Indonesia supplied 58.3% of reported export value in 2024 (Russia does not report). | USGS MCS 2026 (derived); Comtrade 2024 (reporter data) |
| New capacity | new conventional capacity in Asia, Eastern Europe and North America; low-carbon projects small but growing | SECI awarded 724 kt a year of green ammonia across 13 projects in 2025 (ACME 370 kt, Jakson 85 kt, SCC 85 kt, NTPC RE 70 kt, Oriana 60 kt, Onix 50 kt, Suryam 4 kt). CF/JERA/Mitsui Blue Point blue ammonia in Louisiana starts civil works in 2026. NEOM green ammonia in Saudi Arabia due about 2026-27 (indicative). CF dropped its Donaldsonville electrolyser in Dec 2025. | SECI via ESMAP (2025); CF Industries 2025 results; USGS MCS 2026 |
Top producing countries
China 30.6% · 49 Mt N (about 60 Mt NH3) India 9.4% · 15 Mt N (about 18 Mt NH3) Russia 9.4% · 15 Mt N (about 18 Mt NH3) United States 8.8% · 14 Mt N (about 17 Mt NH3) Indonesia 3.8% · 6 Mt N (about 7.3 Mt NH3) Saudi Arabia 3.3% · 5.2 Mt N (about 6.3 Mt NH3) USGS MCS 2026 (2025e)Largest producers: global
| Company | Country | Volume | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CF Industries | US | 10.1 Mt gross ammonia produced | 2025 | CF Industries full-year 2025 results |
| Yara International | Norway | 7.07 Mt ammonia produced | 2025 | Yara Q4 2025 report |
| Nutrien Trinidad plant shut Oct 2025 | Canada | 10.89 Mt nitrogen products sold (product tonnes, not ammonia) | 2025 | Nutrien 2025 MD&A (40-F) |
| QAFCO (QatarEnergy) | Qatar | 3.8 Mt ammonia capacity, single site | 2019 | Gulf Times (Nov 2019) |
| Pupuk Kalimantan Timur | Indonesia | 2.77 Mt ammonia produced | 2025 | Fortune IDN (Jan 2026) |
Largest producers: India
| Company | Country | Volume | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IFFCO ammonia output not published; about 2.7 Mt implied by urea x 0.567 | India | not published | FY2026 | Indian Cooperative (2026) |
| National Fertilizers (NFL) about 2.1 Mt NH3 implied | India | not published | FY2026 | NFL directors' report FY2026 |
| Chambal Fertilisers about 1.9 Mt NH3 implied | India | not published | FY2026 | Chambal MD&A FY2026 |
| Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilizers about 1.2 Mt NH3 implied | India | not published | FY2026 | RCF directors' report FY2026 |
| ACME Cleantech (green) 10-year supply contracts | India | 0.37 Mt a year green ammonia awarded (SECI 2025) | 2025 | SECI via ESMAP (2025) |
India made about 15 Mt N of ammonia in 2025 (USGS), nearly all tied to urea plants on gas and LNG. It still imported $0.98 billion of ammonia in 2024 (11.9% of world imports), mainly for DAP and NPK makers, with Saudi Arabia ($300 million) and Indonesia ($86 million) among suppliers (Comtrade).
Position by region
| Region | Position |
|---|---|
| US | 14 Mt N (2025e), 5% net import reliance; imports from Canada (49%) and Trinidad (47%); Gulf Coast price averaged $450 per short ton in 2025 (USGS). |
| EU | Germany, the Netherlands and Poland about 2 Mt N each; high gas cost makes EU plants the marginal producers; CBAM applies from 2026. |
| India | 15 Mt N, third-largest importer by value ($0.98 billion, 2024); leading green ammonia tender market. |
| China | 49 Mt N, mostly coal-based; small exporter ($42 million, 2024). |
| Japan | Little production; buyer of fuel ammonia through JERA and Mitsui (Blue Point). |
| Middle East | Saudi Arabia 5.2 Mt N, Iran 4.8, Egypt 4.0, Qatar 3.0, Oman 2.0 (USGS); Saudi Arabia 14.1% of export value (2024). |