The United States has not built a new Nitrogen producing plant since the early 1970’s and Orascom, an Egyptian company, is looking to capitalize on high demand for Nitrogen. Many domestic producers have curtailed production in the face of cheaper Middle Eastern natural gas. US Nitrogen production fell by 50% between 2000 and 2008 leaving domestic supplies very short. Orascom shopped five different midwestern locations including one near Pekin, IL before filing a rezoning request in Scott County, Iowa.
Iowa and Illinois account for 33% of US corn production making either state a prime candidate for the new production facility. The proposed site is 1.5 miles East of Walcott putting it near Interstate 80, the Iowa Interstate Railroad and the Mississippi River. The facility would expect to load an average of 50 railcars per day, swelling to 150 railcars per day during peak production.
The Scott County Planning and Zoning Commission voted against rezoning the 318 acre property in July from Agricultural to Heavy Industrial, but the final word will come from the Scott County Board of Supervisors on August 28, 2012.
