While the nation’s petrochemical sector has long been synonymous with the production of ammonia, methanol, and Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) maintains a crucial role in exporting several other key commodities that generate vital foreign exchange.
Three of these products Urea, Urea-Ammonium Nitrate (UAN), and Melamine are closely linked to the country's extensive ammonia production. Collectively, T&T produced over 1.8 million metric tons of these derivatives in 2024, generating substantial foreign exchange earnings in export sales (almost half a billion USD in export sales).
Urea-Ammonium Nitrate (UAN) constitutes the largest share of this output, with over 1.3 million metric tons produced in 2024. This is followed by 470,000 metric tons of urea and 27,000 metric tons of melamine.
Production is currently anchored by several key facilities. T&T is home to two urea plants, one operated by Nutrien and the other by Proman as part of the massive AUM complex. The AUM complex is an integrated hub that also houses a nitric acid plant, an ammonium nitrate plant, the UAN plant, and two specialized melamine plants.
The end products manufactured in T&T are essential components of global supply chains.
Urea, while predominantly used as an agricultural fertilizer, also has important applications in the production of plastics and adhesives, and is even incorporated into various skincare and cosmetic products.
UAN, an aqueous solution made by dissolving urea and ammonium nitrate in water, is the most popular form of liquid nitrogen fertilizer. The type produced in Trinidad, UAN32, comprises 32% nitrogen by weight. It is used extensively in developed agricultural economies, serving as a direct application fertilizer or a blending agent for crops like almonds, cereal grains, and potatoes. Demand is heavily concentrated in the West, with North America and Western Europe accounting for approximately 93% of global UAN usage.
Finally, Melamine, a white, crystalline powder derived from urea, is a crucial feedstock. More than 90% of global melamine production is used to create amino-formaldehyde liquid resin. This versatile resin is essential for manufacturing laminates for floorings and wall paneling, wood adhesive resins used in plywood and fiberboard, and moulding compounds found in durable dinnerware. Strong demand from the construction and automotive industries continues to drive growth for this product.
These derivatives are produced with a primary focus on the export market, cementing T&T’s role as a significant supplier of specialty petrochemicals to a wide array of international manufacturing sectors. They make up a critical part of the exports from the downstream petrochemical sector. The production of these commodities are also linked to the natural gas supply. Over time, the production these three products have also been declining, similar to the production of ammonia.