# Urea: Feedstocks

Urea is ammonia in disguise, and ammonia is gas

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/urea/feedstocks/

What this tab covers What it is made from and what it feeds: the raw materials and energy per tonne with their share of cost (linked to the commodity table), who is low-cost and why, and the chemicals made from it.

Urea is ammonia plus CO2, so its cost is mostly the cost of ammonia, which is mostly gas or coal. Gulf, Russian and North African plants on cheap gas set the bottom of the cost curve; European plants on TTF gas set the top. China's coal plants are cheap at home, but export quotas decide whether that supply reaches the world market.

#### Inputs per tonne

| Input | Quantity per tonne | Role | Share of cost | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Ammonia (chemical tile: ammonia)** | 0.567 t per t urea (stoichiometric) | nitrogen source | about 80-90% of cash cost (indicative) | stoichiometry; indicative |
| [Gas Natural gas](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/natural_gas/) | about 19-22 MMBtu per t urea in total (indicative, basis: 0.567 x 28-33 MMBtu plus urea steam) | feedstock and fuel | about 70-80% (indicative) | USDA ERS basis; indicative |
| [N Nitrogen (ammonia)](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/nitrogen/) | 0.466 t N per t urea | nutrient content | see ammonia | stoichiometry |
| **Carbon dioxide (chemical tile: carbon_dioxide)** | 0.733 t per t urea | carbon source | near zero (by-product of the ammonia plant) | stoichiometry |

#### Who is low-cost, and why

At September 2026 World Bank gas prices, gas for a tonne of urea cost about $55-65 in the US ($2.95/MMBtu) and about $480-560 in Europe ($25.42/MMBtu), against a world urea price of $407.5/t (basis: 19-22 MMBtu per t, indicative). Chinese coal urea sold at about $255-267/t domestically in April 2026 (Reuters).

#### Raw materials on the commodity table
[Gas Natural gas](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/natural_gas/)[N Nitrogen (ammonia)](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/nitrogen/)

#### What it is made into

| Product | Note |
|---|---|
| [HCHO Formaldehyde](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/formaldehyde/) | urea-formaldehyde resins for wood panels |
| [Adh Adhesives and sealants](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/adhesives/) | UF and melamine-formaldehyde binders |
| [FR Flame retardants](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/flame_retardants/) | melamine and its salts |

## Other sections

- [Summary](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/urea/index.md)
- [Overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/urea/overview/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/urea/correlation/index.md)
- [Production route](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/urea/routes/index.md)
- [Production](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/urea/production/index.md)
- [Cycles](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/urea/cycles/index.md)
- [Trading](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/urea/trading/index.md)
- [Movement](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/urea/movement/index.md)
- [Regulation](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/urea/regulation/index.md)
- [Characteristics](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/urea/characteristics/index.md)
- [Emissions](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/urea/emissions/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/urea/links/index.md)