Cheyenne Eyed For Multi-Billion-Dollar Fertilizer Plant to Bridge Western Supply Gap
A Colorado-based company is looking at Cheyenne, Wyoming, as the site for a massive $4.7 billion nitrogen fertilizer plant designed to supply the agriculture industry across the western United States, wyomingnews.com reported. The developer, Windsor, Colorado-headquartered American Fertilizer, spent the past year-and-a-half searching for a western location before settling on Cheyenne, according to Cheyenne Mayor Patrick Collins.
The proposed facility would produce urea, UAN32, ammonia, and diesel exhaust fluid. Company data indicates there is currently no nitrogen production facility serving the West, despite regional demand reaching approximately 5 million tons. At the same time, national reliance on foreign imports remains stark. In 2025, 66% of U.S. urea imports came from Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Oman. Altogether, imported urea accounts for 36% of the nation’s total supply.
Global Shipping Disruptions Threaten Domestic Fertilizer Prices
Federal and local officials increasingly frame domestic fertilizer production through the lens of national security. Disruptions in global shipping lanes have triggered sharp price swings for American growers. After the closure of the Strait of Hormuz in late February, urea prices climbed more than 28% in three weeks, according to reporting by Cowboy State Daily.
Mayor Collins pointed to those international flashpoints as direct threats to domestic agriculture. “With the Strait of Hormuz, in all that situation that’s going on in the world, that puts our farmers at risk,” Collins told wyomingnews.com. “We’ve seen a doubling of the cost of fertilizer just in the last year.”
“Fertilizer is essential to growing the food Americans depend on every day. By increasing domestic production, we can help protect our nation’s food supply from global disruptions, improve access to a critical resource for farmers and strengthen America’s long-term food security,” Erik Vettergren, senior vice president of industrial development for American Fertilizer Wyoming, said in a statement to the Wyoming Tribune Eagle.
The Department of Agriculture has responded to these vulnerabilities with a $500 million fund aimed at boosting domestic production of nitrogen and crop nutrients. In May, the Senate Agriculture Committee held its first hearing dedicated to the fertilizer industry, where Chairman John Boozman, a Republican from Arkansas, characterized shortages as a national security issue.
Why Cheyenne Was Selected for the 600-Acre Site
While no specific parcel is finalized yet, developers are targeting a 600-acre site in the Swan Ranch Industrial Park, a location southwest of the city near the intersection of Interstates 25 and 80. City leaders attribute the selection to Cheyenne’s heavy freight infrastructure. The facility plans to ship out roughly 500 railcars of fertilizer each week, making dual-rail access via the Union Pacific and Burlington Northern railroads a decisive factor.
The site also places production closer to western farms, cutting out long-haul transport from the Gulf Coast, Canada, or Pacific Coast ports. Ninety-two percent of current U.S. production sits east of the Rockies, leaving western growers to absorb steep freight costs and exposure to global shocks.
American Fertilizer is pitching a massive "world-scale" nitrogen fertilizer plant outside of Cheyenne. Cheyenne Mayor Patrick Collins calls the prospect "an exciting opportunity." “From what they told me, it’s a multi-billion-dollar facility," he said.https://t.co/NlafPQP1zP”
Financial backing for the venture is moving forward. According to U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings noted by Cowboy State Daily, American Fertilizer raised $3.76 million toward a $4.76 million goal by early September through an offering with a $250,000 minimum for outside investors.
Economic Projections and Unresolved Local Questions
The project carries substantial economic footprints for Wyoming. Developers project the facility will create 1,600 construction-period jobs and 300 full-time positions. According to Collins, representatives estimate the plant will increase Wyoming’s Gross Domestic Product by 1%.
Local leaders are still working to pin down exact municipal revenue figures. While developers cited an estimated $17 million annual impact across state, county, and city budgets, officials have hired the University of Wyoming to produce a formal breakdown of taxes and revenues.
Questions also remain regarding water usage and the exact development timeline. American Fertilizer did not respond to Cowboy State Daily by publication regarding specific operational details. While company officials have told local leaders they hope to have the facility fully operational by 2031, a definitive construction schedule has not yet been established.
