Nutrien Trinidad achieves two turnaround milestones

In 2024, Nutrien's Trinidad nitrogen facility made significant strides by completing not one, but two major planned turnarounds at its urea plant and its largest ammonia plant. This involved a combined investment of about US$130 million, aimed at improving the operational efficiency and longevity of the plants.

“Turnarounds are designed to keep the plants running reliably for the next four-to-five years,” says Edmond Thompson, VP & Managing Director of Nutrien Trinidad. “That means we can continue to produce products that enable Nutrien to continue Feeding the Future here and around the world.”

The turnarounds, each lasting about two months, involved key upgrades such as the replacement of essential equipment including the stripper in the urea plant, as well as the primary reformer internals and catalyst in the ammonia plant. These improvements are crucial for safe, reliable and efficient production processes.

Leiselle Harripersad, Senior Production Manager at Trinidad, describes the immense amount of work undertaken in terms of being a ‘marathon’ for workers. “There was only about a month between the completion of the first turnaround and the start of the second turnaround, so I can’t thank our talented teams enough for their dedication to seeing these massive projects through to successful completion.”

Tapping into Nutrien’s global resources

To maximize efficiency, knowledge sharing was key from start to finish. That included incorporating learnings from the first turnaround into the second turnaround, as well as an abundance of support from Nutrien’s global operations network.

“We leveraged the expertise of our corporate Engineering, Technology & Capital team as well as other Nutrien sites who provided planning expertise and on-site execution support every step of the way,” says Leiselle. “It was amazing to tap into the bench strength that Nutrien has both in Trinidad and our various sites abroad, and to see all those parts come together as we worked collaboratively to achieve a common goal.”  

Prioritizing and celebrating safety

Safety was paramount to ensure there were no lost-time injuries during either turnaround among the workforce of up to 1,600 onsite personnel.

Before each turnaround, an interactive safety village was held, featuring presentations, displays and practical demonstrations of safe work practices. All workers were also required to attend mandatory safety orientation sessions to learn about Nutrien’s values, procedures and expectations. This was especially useful for contractors who had not worked for Nutrien before. During the turnarounds, there were regular stand-up meetings that focused on Nutrien’s five key daily actions for safety. A recognition program was also implemented, focused on ‘catching people doing the right things’ related to safety, and those successes were celebrated through team events and prizes. 

Contributing to a stronger local economy

In addition to its regular full-time workforce, the turnarounds generated employment for more than 1,000 temporary contractors. Over and above job growth, the influx of workers boosted the local economy by creating business for service industries such as hotels, restaurants and gas stations, as well as local industrial suppliers.

Thanks to our neighbours

While the turnarounds boosted local businesses, they also led to higher traffic volumes, and Nutrien Trinidad took measures to minimize disturbances. Traffic wardens were engaged to regulate the flow of vehicles during busy times, such as shift transitions, to ease congestion and ensure safe traffic management on site.

Setting the stage for a bright future

Reflecting on 2024, Edmond Thompson emphasized the past year's achievements as part of a more extensive legacy spanning over 40 years.

"Our successes aren’t just isolated events; they illustrate our enduring commitment to excellence and growth,” he says. “I’d like to extend my gratitude to our community for their continued support and to Nutrien’s local and global teams for their exceptional efforts during the turnarounds – their diverse expertise continues to drive local and international success."