Congratulations Gothenburg! New Plant to Create Jobs, Reduce Ag Costs

News/Features Writer

It is often said that if you offer a free meal, people will come. And come they did! Though delicious, it wasn’t the lure of the pulled pork sandwich meal that drew the large crowd of approximately 500 people however; it was the huge announcement that came after the lunch.

The event was proudly hosted by Gothenburg Improvement Company (GIC) which has been working for the past six years on a proposal to bring a new industry to Gothenburg. On Wednesday, June 28, state and local dignitaries and citizens from across the region gathered at the Gothenburg Industrial Tract, in the large brand-new Wearparts building still under construction, for the big announcement.

The new industry is a Nebraska-based startup that is developing a new fertilizer production facility in Gothenburg. This domestic supply will reduce costs for farmers in the region and produce "zero-carbon" ammonia.

The Meadowlark Project took several years to develop and is now at an advanced stage. JWC Gburg, LLC has secured a building site, key engineering and technology contracts, green electricity supply, liquified CO2, and wastewater input sources. The facility will be built in the Industrial Tract located to the east of the Frito Lay plant.

Initial project financing was secured in 2021, with rounds of grant, equity, debt, and tax incentives on the immediate horizon, including participating in the Nebraska, Iowa, and Missouri joint “Midcontinent Hydrogen Hub” application to the Department of Energy (DOE).

“The Meadowlark Project builds on Nebraska’s long tradition of innovation in agriculture. This project will more sustainably produce high-quality fertilizer right here in our state, reducing our reliance on foreign imports and transportation delays,” said Gov. Jim Pillen. “This plant comes at a critical time for us to add high-paying jobs and lower farmers’ costs in this region of our State.”

Project Meadowlark is a locally produced, Nebraska-owned company that will significantly benefit the agriculture industry and use renewable energy produced and delivered by Nebraska’s public power districts. The plant will achieve net negative emissions through a zero-carbon production process that utilizes liquified CO2, reduces transportation-generated emissions from current import requirements, and produces emissions-reducing fuel additives as a byproduct.

"The excitement around this project is palpable and it is particularly rewarding to experience cooperation and support from many different sources,” said JWC Gburg co-founder Joshua Westling. “The Governor and the State of Nebraska, our federal, state, and local elected officials, and utility company leadership, just to name a few, have all provided support necessary for this project to become a reality.”

The announcement event was hosted by GIC with board member Mike Bacon serving as master of ceremonies. In his opening remarks, Bacon congratulated Wearparts Tillage Tools on their new worldwide headquarters facility and thanked them for the use of the building for the event.

Partnering with Josh Westling on the $750 million Project Meadowlark is Chris Hayhurst. Chris has spent the past 31 years of his career in fertilizer operations and management. Construction on the new facility is expected to begin late this year and will take about two years to complete.

Once fully in production, Project Meadowlark will produce 365,000 tons of Urea Ammonium Nitrate (UAN), 146,000 tons of Ammonium ThioSulphate (ATS), and 20 million gallons of Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) each year. The DEF and some ATS products will be transported by rail, while the UAN will be transported from the facility by truck.

“This magnificent adventure marks a significant milestone in our town’s history. It exemplifies the spirit of progress, resilience, innovation, and collaboration that defines Gothenburg and its people,” said Gothenburg Mayor Will Rajes during comments at the June 28 announcement. “The arrival of this plant is not merely a stroke of good fortune. It is a testament to our community’s potential and recognition of our strategic location and determination of our citizens to foster growth and development.”

Project Meadowlark will add approximately 50 full-time jobs and another 246 jobs are expected to be created indirectly. The plant is projected to serve an approximate 150-mile radius around Gothenburg - reaching as far north as Valentine, south as Hays, Kansas, east as York, and west as Yuma, Colorado.

Contact Ellen Mortensen at [email protected] or call 308.537.9498

News/Features Writer

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