Urea: Production
Why India's ageing plants run above full capacity
Why India's ageing plants run above full capacity 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 | world not retrieved; India reassessed capacity 26.94 Mt a year across 33 units | Department of Fertilizers via ETV Bharat (Dec 2025) | |
| World output | about 201 Mt (2024) | IFA via DTN (Dec 2025) | |
| Capacity utilisation | India above 100% of reassessed capacity (NFL 112.7% in FY2026) | Indian units made about 30.5 Mt a year against 26.94 Mt reassessed capacity; 27 of 33 units are over 25 years old. | NFL directors' report FY2026; ETV Bharat (2025) |
| Concentration | China about 35% of output (indicative); exports led by the Gulf, Egypt, Algeria, Nigeria and Russia | Firm concentration is low. Export supply is more concentrated: Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Oman supplied 36.3% of reported export value in 2024 (Russia and Qatar not in reporter data). | Comtrade 2024 (reporter data); indicative |
| New capacity | India: Talcher coal-gas urea (1.27 Mt); global additions in Asia, Russia, Africa | Talcher Fertilizers was 67% complete in May 2025. India commissioned several 1.27 Mt gas-based plants (Ramagundam, Gorakhpur, Barauni, Sindri) in 2021-2022 (indicative). Low-carbon urea needs blue ammonia with retained CO2 or green ammonia plus captured CO2. | Department of Fertilizers via ETV Bharat (2025); indicative for commissioning years |
Top producing countries
China 35% · about 70 Mt (2024, indicative) India 14.6% · 29.32 Mt (FY2026); 30.64 Mt (FY2025)- Russia: not retrieved; major exporter
- United States: not retrieved; urea is the largest US ammonia derivative (USGS)
- Indonesia: not retrieved; Pupuk Kaltim alone 3.58 Mt (2025)
- Qatar: QAFCO 5.6 Mt capacity (2019)
Largest producers: global
| Company | Country | Volume | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| QAFCO (QatarEnergy) world's largest single site | Qatar | 5.6 Mt urea capacity, single site | 2019 | Gulf Times (Nov 2019) |
| Pupuk Kalimantan Timur (Pupuk Indonesia) | Indonesia | 3.58 Mt urea produced | 2025 | Fortune IDN (Jan 2026) |
| CF Industries urea tonnage not retrieved | US | not published | 2025 | CF Industries 2025 results |
| Nutrien | Canada | 10.89 Mt nitrogen products sold (all forms) | 2025 | Nutrien 2025 MD&A |
| Yara International urea tonnage not retrieved | Norway | not published | 2025 | Yara Q4 2025 report |
Largest producers: India
| Company | Country | Volume | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IFFCO also nano urea | India | 4.83 Mt urea produced | FY2026 | Indian Cooperative (2026) |
| National Fertilizers (NFL) also runs import tenders | India | 3.64 Mt urea produced | FY2026 | NFL directors' report FY2026 |
| Chambal Fertilisers and Chemicals | India | 3.37 Mt urea produced | FY2026 | Chambal MD&A FY2026 |
| Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilizers (RCF) | India | 2.11 Mt urea produced | FY2026 | RCF directors' report FY2026 |
India made 29.32 Mt and sold 39.64 Mt in FY2026, so imports rose from 5.65 Mt (FY2025) to 10.38 Mt (Chambal MD&A). By value India took 10.8% of world urea imports ($2.16 billion) in 2024 (Comtrade). Imports are canalised through state agencies (IPL, NFL, RCF).
Position by region
| Region | Position |
|---|---|
| US | Imports 9.3% of world urea by value ($1.87 billion, 5.10 Mt in 2024) despite large ammonia output; US Gulf (NOLA) is a key benchmark. |
| EU | High-cost producers on TTF gas; CBAM covers urea from 2026; EU tariffs on Russian fertilisers rising 2025-2028 (indicative). |
| India | Largest swing importer; imported 10.38 Mt in FY2026; farm price fixed at Rs 242 per 45 kg bag. |
| China | Largest producer, mostly coal-based; exports rationed by quota, about 4.9 Mt in 2025 (Reuters); quotas released in June 2026. |
| Japan | Small user and importer. |
| Middle East | Saudi Arabia (14.3%), Oman (9.6%) and Qatar lead exports; about 40% of seaborne urea passes Hormuz. |