Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen touts ‘sustainable’ fertilizer factory headed to Gothenburg

By Aaron Sanderford, Nebraska Examiner
Jun 29, 2023
Jun 29, 2023

Fertilizer plant 1.jpeg — Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen celebrates the announcement of a new fertilizer factory June 28 in Gothenburg, Neb.
Nebraska Examiner photo by Aaron Sanderford

Facebook
Twitter
Bluesky
WhatsApp
SMS
Email
Print
Save

By Aaron Sanderford, Nebraska Examiner

The founders of a local startup that will use electricity instead of natural gas to make “eco-friendlier” fertilizer closer to farmers announced plans June 28 to invest $750 million in a new factory in Gothenburg, Nebraska.

kAmv@G] y:> !:==6? 2?5 2 4C@H5 @7 >@C6 E92? b__ A6@A=6 2EE6?565 2 46=63C2E:@? @7 “!C@;64E |625@H=2C<[” H9:49 =@42= 64@?@>:4 56G6=@A>6?E 3@@DE6CD 56D4C:365 2D @?6 @7 E96 =2C86DE :?G6DE>6?ED :? 46?EC2= @C H6DE6C? }63C2D<2 :? J62CD[ 2E 2 >2?F724EFC:?8 D:E6 2=@?8 E96 !=2EE6 #:G6C] !:==6? 42==65 E96 A=2?E DFDE2:?23=6]k^Am

kAm“xE’D 2 3:8 562=[ 2?5 :E’D 8@:?8 E@ 96=A 2 H:56 DH2E9 @7 }63C2D<2 AC@5F46CD[” !:==6? D2:5] “tG6CJE9:?8 H6 42? 5@ E@ 564C62D6 @FC 4@DED 2?5 C65F46 E96 FD6 @7 2 82==@? @7 5:6D6= 7F6= @C 7@DD:= 7F6=D :D 8@@5 7@C E96 A=2?6E[ 2?5 8@@5 7@C 3FD:?6DD]”k^Am

k9cmvC@H:?8 9F3 7@C 28C:3FD:?6DDk^9cm

kAmv@E96?3FC8 |2J@C (:== #29;6D D2:5 9:D 4@>>F?:EJ[ 2? 9@FC H6DE @7 z62C?6J ;FDE @77 x?E6CDE2E6 g_[ 92D =@?8 366? 2 9F3 7@C 28C:4F=EFC2= 3FD:?6DD6D] w6 A@:?E65 E@ E96 ?62C3J uC:E@ {2J 724:=:EJ[ H9:49 3FJD 4@C? 8C@H? C68:@?2==J E@ >2<6 49:AD]k^Am

kAmw6 D2:5 E96 ?6H 76CE:=:K6C 724E@CJ 3J y(r v3FC8 {{r 2?5 2 ?6H (62CA2CED 724E@CJ 7@C 28 6BF:A>6?E 23@FE E@ 4@>6 @?=:?6 H:== AFE v@E96?3FC8 @? 2 A2E9 E@ ?6H AC@DA6C:EJ] %96 >2J@C D2:5 E96 8C@HE9 2=D@ C6:?7@C46D E96 ?665 7@C ?6H 9@FD:?8 7@C H@C<6CD] k^Am

kAm“xE ECF=J :D 8@:?8 E@ 36 2 3@@> :? E96 =@42= 64@?@>J[” #29;6D D2:5] “~? H@C<7@C46 2?5 9@FD:?8 … E9@D6 2C6 E@A AC:@C:E:6D[ 2=@?8 H:E9 49:=5 42C6] (6 H:== 4@?E:?F6 3F:=5:?8 255:E:@?2= 9@>6D ;FDE 2D 72DE 2D H6 A@DD:3=J 42?]”k^Am

k9cm(@C<7@C46 9@FD:?8 2? FC86?E ?665k^9cm

kAm$E2E6 $6?] %6C6D2 x3249[ H9@ =:G6D :? ?62C3J $F>?6C 2?5 4@\DA@?D@C65 {68:D=2E:G6 q:== ach @? H@C<7@C46 9@FD:?8 E9:D J62C[ D2:5 D>2==6C 4:E:6D 2?5 =@42= 64@?@>:4 3@@DE6CD ?665 DE2E6 96=A] !2CED @7 {q ach H6C6 2>6?565 :?E@ 2?@E96C 3:==[ 3FE !:==6? =:?6\:E6> G6E@65 Sc_ >:==:@? :? 7F?5:?8] $96 D2:5 D96’5 3C:?8 324< 2 3:== ?6IE J62C]k^Am

kAmx3249 D2:5 D96 F?56CDE@@5 E92E !:==6? 925 E@ E2<6 2 3:8\A:4EFC6 =@@< 2E H92E E96 DE2E6 4@F=5 277@C5] qFE[ D96 D2:5[ E96 ?665 7@C 255:E:@?2= 9@FD:?8 :D AC6DD:?8]k^Am

kAm“xE’D 8@:?8 E@ 36 2 492==6?86[ 3FE H96? J@F 92G6 DF446DD DE@C:6D =:<6 E9:D @?6 E@ 3F:=5 @77 @7[ J@F 42? D6== 2?JE9:?8[” D96 D2:5]k^Am

People are also reading…

Dairy era ends in sadness
Lifelong cowboy continues team roping career at 87
Plant soybeans early, Below says
Seasonal supply squeeze drives sheep, goat prices
Research farm director welcomes next generation of ag
Rooted in dairy, driven by data
DSU student designs inventory software for Hadrick Ranch
USDA forecasts 4% increase in soybean acres
Nations race to secure enough fertilizer
Iowa community college ag students explore Brazil
Upside Robotics builds robots with sensors to fertilize cornfields in tiny doses
Factors drive increase in pigs per litter
We’re springing into April
EPA allows summer sales of E15 gasoline
Overabundance of goat milk pours out soap business for Wausa woman

Fertilizer plant 2.jpeg — The new fertilizer factory in Gothenburg will be located along the Platte River.
Nebraska Examiner photo by Aaron Sanderford

k9cmtI4:E6>6?E ‘A2=A23=6’k^9cm

kAmy(r v3FC8 4@\7@F?56C y@D9F2 (6DE=:?8 D2:5 96 H2D AC@F5 E@ 36 8C@H:?8 2 3FD:?6DD :? }63C2D<2] w6 42==65 E96 6I4:E6>6?E 2C@F?5 E96 724E@CJ “A2=A23=6]” (6DE=:?8 DE2CE65 E96 4@>A2?J H:E9 76==@H 7@C>6C 76CE:=:K6C 6I64FE:G6 r9C:D w2J9FCDE]k^Am

kAm|:<6 q24@? @7 E96 v@E96?3FC8 x>AC@G6>6?E r@>A2?J[ H9@ 6>4665 E96 46C6>@?J yF?6 ag[ 4C65:E65 7656C2=[ DE2E6 2?5 =@42= @77:4:2=D 2?5 AF3=:4 A@H6C 5:DEC:4ED 7@C >2<:?8 E96 AC@;64E A@DD:3=6] w6 D2:5 4@?DECF4E:@? H@F=5 E2<6 23@FE EH@ J62CD]k^Am

kAm~C82?:K6CD 6IA=2:?65 H92E H:== >2<6 |625@H=2C< 5:776C6?Ei %@ AC@5F46 76CE:=:K6C >@C6 C6DA@?D:3=J[ @C82?:K6CD D2:5[ E96 724E@CJ H:== FD6 =:BF:5 r~a H2DE6 7C@> 6E92?@= @C A@H6C A=2?ED[ H2E6C 7C@> v@E96?3FC8’D H2DE6H2E6C A=2?E[ D@>6 8C@F?5H2E6C[ 2?5 6=64EC:4:EJ 7C@> C6?6H23=6 D@FC46D]k^Am

kAm}63C2D<2 !F3=:4 !@H6C s:DEC:4E rt~ %@> z6?E[ H9@ DA@<6 5FC:?8 E96 <:4<@77[ D2:5 E96 ?6H 724E@CJ H@F=5 C6BF:C6 23@FE 2 S`__ >:==:@? :?G6DE>6?E 3J }!!s E@ DFAA=J C6?6H23=6 6?6C8J E@ E96 A=2?E] w6 42==65 E96 DA6?5:?8 “H@CE9H9:=6]”k^Am

k9bmkDA2? DEJ=6lQ7@?E\D:K6i `6>jQm(92E E96 A=2?E H:== AC@5F46k^DA2?mk^9bm

kAm%96 A=2?E 6IA64ED E@ >2?F724EFC6 FA E@ `[___ E@?D A6C 52J @7 2>>@?:F> ?:EC2E6[ c__ E@?D 2 52J @7 2>>@?:F> E9:@DF=A92E6 2?5 a_ >:==:@? 82==@?D 2 J62C @7 5:6D6= 6I92FDE 7=F:5] %96 AC@;64E H:== C646:G6 7656C2= 2?5 DE2E6 96=A 7C@> E2I :?46?E:G6D 2?5 8C2?E 7F?5D 7C@> E96 &]$] s6A2CE>6?E @7 t?6C8J 2D A2CE @7 2 C68:@?2= “9J5C@86? 9F3]”k^Am

kAm}@ 3C62<5@H? @7 E96 7F?5:?8 H2D :>>65:2E6=J 2G2:=23=6]k^Am

kAm%96 ?6H A=2?E A=2?D E@ 9:C6 d_ 7F==\E:>6 H@C<6CD @?46 4@?DECF4E:@? :D 4@>A=6E6] p44@C5:?8 E@ 2 D=:56 D92C65 H:E9 E96 4C@H5[ :E 6IA64ED E@ 96=A 4C62E6 2?@E96C ace =@42= 2?5 C68:@?2= ;@3D :?5:C64E=J] k^Am

kAmx3249 D2:5 D96 H2D 6I4:E65 E@ D66 H92E E96 724E@CJ H:== 5@] $96 D2:5 D96 =@@<D 2E 6G6CJ 64@?@>:4 56G6=@A>6?E AC@;64E’D AFCA@D6[ AC@46DD 2?5 A2J@77] %96 ?6H A=2?E H2D 2 J6D @? 2== E9C66[ D96 D2:5]k^Am

kAm“%9:D ;FDE 8:G6D =@42= 72C>6CD 2 H2J E@ 96=A E96> H:E9 E96:C 3@EE@> =:?6 2?5 96=A E96> 36 DF446DD7F=[” D96 D2:5] “xE’D 92C5 E@ >2<6 :E W:? 72C>:?8 2?5 C2?49:?8X[ 2?5 E9:D :D C62==J 8@:?8 E@ 36 2 36?67:E]”k^Am

k5:G 4=2DDlQ5@?2E6r@?E2:?6CQm k^5:Gm

Nebraska Examiner is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Nebraska Examiner maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Cate Folsom for questions: info@nebraskaexaminer.com. Follow Nebraska Examiner on Facebook and Twitter.