Nutrien’s Lima nitrogen facility completes planned turnaround

Earlier this autumn, Nutrien successfully completed a turnaround at its nitrogen facility in Lima, Ohio. This scheduled event, which happens every few years, is essential for performing comprehensive maintenance work, equipment inspections, and other critical tasks needed to optimize operational efficiency and reliability that can’t be done during regular operations.

“Nutrien’s purpose is Feeding the Future, and the products we produce are key to healthy, abundant crops that support resilient food systems,” says Todd Sutton, General Manager at Lima. “This planned turnaround enables us to keep our facility running reliably so that we can continue to produce products that are essential to daily life. I want to thank all of our employees and contractors for their diligence and dedication which enabled us to complete the turnaround safely and successfully.”

Prioritizing safety

Safety is about people, first and foremost. With the influx of workers on-site conducting complex activities, safety was the site’s top priority. Through careful preparation and ongoing training that focused on following Nutrien’s key daily safety actions, Lima achieved no lost-time or recordable injuries.

Besides ensuring a safe environment, turnaround activities were completed on time and within budget. “This achievement is significant,” notes Keith Brinkman, Superintendent of Project Engineering at Lima. “During our maintenance work, we encountered several new areas for repairs and enhancements, and we were able to complete them all within the planned turnaround scope, further boosting efficiency.”

Strategic collaboration - better results

Throughout the planning and execution phases, the Lima site benefitted from the collective expertise and support from other Nutrien nitrogen facilities, alongside Nutrien’s Engineering, Technology & Capital team. “This collaborative approach fostered continuous improvement and the implementation of shared best practices across locations,” says Project Supervisor Robert Guy. “We spent well over a year planning this event, with knowledge sharing every step of the way, to carry out the project efficiently.”

Economic boost to the local community

In addition to generating more than 530 temporary contractor positions, economic benefits extended to the local community in many ways – including increased hotel occupancy and busier local restaurants, gas stations and other service industries. Local industrial businesses, including machine shops, repair services and rental companies were also contributors to the turnaround efforts.

Thanks to our neighbors

While the turnaround benefited local businesses, it also led to increased traffic. “Our community is familiar with industry turnarounds, and we took proactive steps to minimize disruption,” explains Robert. “Off-duty police officers were hired to safely manage traffic flow around our site, and we kept noise levels low through the use of electric lighting instead of diesel generators for outdoor work, which also reduced our environmental impact. We sincerely appreciate the community’s patience and support.”

About Nutrien’s Lima operations

The Lima facility began operations in 1955 and will celebrate 70 years of operation in 2025. The site employs 210 full-time employees and about 100 contractors in its normal course of business. The Lima team produces ammonia, urea, nitric acid, urea ammonium nitrate and diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) for use in agriculture and industrial products.

Nutrien Lima collaborates with community partners and local charitable organizations to make a positive and lasting impact with its neighbors, including donations in support of Future Farmers of America, 4-H, and Junior Fair activities at local county fairs, regional food banks, and environmental projects.