Beatrice Plant Gets Massive New Ammonia Converter

After a long logistical journey, the Koch Fertilizer plant in Beatrice, Nebraska recently acquired a large new addition: a converter measuring 98 feet tall and 14 feet wide and weighing in at a whopping 800,000 pounds — about the same as 26 combines.

The new converter is part of a multimillion-dollar investment in the plant, which employs about 80 people in a variety of roles including operations, engineering and skilled trades.

According to Plant Manager Jason Stowell, the converter project reflects Koch Fertilizer's commitment to long-term growth and partnership with the Beatrice community.

“It's a huge testament to the investment Koch has in this facility,” Stowell said, “and the support for the employees here as well as the community.”

Why a new converter?

The new converter replaces two smaller converters the plant has been using and will play a key role in supporting future innovation and production at Koch Fertilizer in Beatrice.

So … what does it do?

The converter is an essential piece of equipment that combines nitrogen from the air and hydrogen from natural gas to produce ammonia fertilizer. Ammonia also serves as the building block for UAN, another fertilizer product made at the Beatrice plant.

Where did it come from and how did it get to Nebraska?

The converter was built in Venice, Italy and required several modes of transportation to make its impressive 6000+ mile trek across the globe.

Round 1: Shipping Vessel

It all started in Italy, where the converter was loaded onto a shipping vessel bound for the Port of Houston — a 5,000 nautical mile journey. The total shipping weight of all cargo was more than 1 million pounds, with the converter itself weighing in at 800,000 pounds.

Round 2: Railroad

After its arrival at the Port of Houston, the converter was offloaded from the shipping vessel and loaded onto rail cars for the next stage of its trip — a 1,200-mile train ride northbound from Texas to Nebraska.

Round 3: Crawler & Semi-trucks

After rolling into Farmers Cooperative in Plymouth, Nebraska, the converter was moved from the rail cars onto a crawler for the last leg of its journey — a very slow and methodical 10-mile drive from the Co-op to the Koch Fertilizer plant in Beatrice.

Round 4: Crane & Final Destination

Once at the plant, it was no small feat to lift the converter and perfectly place it on the foundation. The VersaCrane TC24000 used to perform the lift was built on site. It was delivered in 50 semi-tractor loads and took about a month to put together using two additional cranes. After it was assembled, it stood approximately 300 feet tall. The counterweight needed for the crane to achieve the converter lift was 840,000 pounds.

The result

The converter project — from intricate engineering to international logistics — was a monster undertaking by the entire Beatrice team and a broad network of partners. The successful delivery and installation of this enormous piece of equipment was a daily demonstration of incredible focus, attention to detail and an unwavering commitment to safety, setting the stage for continued success at Koch Fertilizer Beatrice.