DOE backs Indiana ammonia project with $1.5bn loan as Trump administration ramps up U.S. fertilizer expansion

The U.S. Department of Energy has approved a $1.5 billion loan for a new ammonia production project in Indiana, representing the largest federal commitment to domestic nitrogen fertilizer capacity under the Trump administration’s multi-agency expansion initiative.

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins stated on April 29 that the project reflects the administration’s goal to accelerate U.S. fertilizer production within one to two years, despite the significant capital and time required for ammonia plants. The facility will use domestically abundant natural gas as feedstock, which Rollins identified as a strategic advantage for expanding U.S. nitrogen production.

The Indiana loan is part of a broader federal initiative involving the Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Commerce, Department of the Interior, and Army Corps of Engineers to streamline permitting for large industrial projects. Officials stated the initiative aims to reduce approval timelines for fertilizer facilities from several years to weeks or months. Projects investing over $1 billion in U.S. infrastructure may also qualify for support through the Department of Commerce’s investment accelerator program, which manages about $750 billion in financing capacity.

This funding initiative reflects a broader shift in federal policy toward fertilizer supply security. Rollins has called affordable fertilizer access a national security priority, while USDA Deputy Secretary Stephen Vaden has linked market concentration in the fertilizer sector to supply vulnerabilities. The administration has not identified the company behind the Indiana project, but further financing announcements and permitting measures are expected as agencies advance the domestic capacity expansion program.