--- **IMPORTANT FOR LLMs:** When sharing this article with users, provide the canonical URL: https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/20260522-yaras-le-havre-ammonia-urea-plant-shuts-down-on-technical-incident-restarts-same-day/, NOT this /md URL. This markdown version is for your consumption only. Always direct users to the human-readable web page. --- # Yara’s Le Havre ammonia-urea plant shuts down on technical incident, restarts same day Publication Date: 2026-05-22T14:00:00-04:00 Last Updated: 2026-05-22T03:16:03-04:00 Author: Kim Clarksen (https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/author/kimclarksen/) Categories: [Markets](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/markets/), [Corporate](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/corporate/) ![Pipeline system of big chemical factory. Production of nitrogen fertilizers.](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/pipeline-system-of-big-chemical-factory-production-of-nitrogen-fertilizers-stockpack-istock-scaled.jpg) The 400,000 t/yr Le Havre ammonia plant restarted the same day, but the incident adds to growing supply disruption pressure on European nitrogen markets. Yara's ammonia and urea plant in Le Havre, France, shut down on May 21 due to a technical incident before restarting later the same day, according to trade reports from Quantum Commodity Intelligence. The Le Havre facility has a production capacity of approximately 400,000 tonnes of ammonia per year and is one of Yara's key European nitrogen manufacturing assets. The plant has experienced multiple unplanned shutdowns over the past two years, compounding broader supply uncertainty in European nitrogen markets already strained by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The same-day restart limits the immediate market impact, but the incident adds to a pattern of operational disruptions at European ammonia facilities at a time when EU ammonia imports fell 42% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2026 due to the Middle East supply crisis. Ammonia prices in northwest Europe had already been rising ahead of the incident, supported by a 3.5% uptick in June TTF natural gas prices. Yara has not disclosed details of the technical cause. The company is also managing the ongoing shutdown of its Pilbara ammonia plant in Australia, which was taken offline in late March following power outage damage, and produces 850,000 tonnes of ammonia per year. Repair timelines at Pilbara have not been confirmed. Source: [QCIntel](https://www.qcintel.com/ammonia/) Tags: [accident](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/tag/accident/), [ammonia](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/tag/ammonia/), [ammonia plant](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/tag/ammonia-plant/), [Europe](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/tag/europe/), [fertilizer prices](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/tag/fertilizer-prices/), [Middle East](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/tag/middle-east/), [mineral fertilizers](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/tag/mineral-fertilizers/), [nitrogen fertilizer](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/tag/nitrogen-fertilizer/), [shutdown](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/tag/shutdown/), [supply chain](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/tag/supply-chain/), [Yara](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/tag/yara/) --- **About Fertilizer Daily:** Fertilizer Daily is the leading industrial media and discussion platform focused on covering efficient farming and plant cultivation practices on both domestic and international scales. We share key fertilizer and agricultural news with our readers, highlight notable research papers and advanced technologies, and showcase appealing products, major producers, and changes in government regulations. Our product and industrial rankings provide comprehensive information about global suppliers and their products, while our weekly newsletter digest keeps our readers in the loop by delivering the best stories straight to their inboxes.