This initiative, supported under the new Energy Dominance Financing (EDF) Program, aims to strengthen domestic supply chains, reduce reliance on foreign fertilizer, and revitalize an idled coal gasification plant using American coal.
In a move lauded by the administration as a significant step toward achieving American "energy dominance" and bolstering national food security, U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright today announced that the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Loan Programs Office (LPO) has finalized a major loan. The $1.5 billion loan, extended to Wabash Valley Resources, LLC, will finance the construction and operation of a coal and ammonia fertilizer facility in West Terre Haute, Indiana.
The project is centered on the restart and repurposing of a coal gasification plant that has been idled since 2016. The revived facility is projected to produce 500,000 metric tons of anhydrous ammonia per year. Critically, the operation will utilize coal from a nearby Southern Indiana mine and petroleum coke as its primary feedstock.
Secretary Wright emphasized the national security and economic implications of the initiative. “For too long, America has been dependent on foreign sources of fertilizer,” said Secretary Wright. “Under President Trump’s leadership, we are changing that by putting America first, relying on American coal, American workers, and American innovation to power our farms and feed our families.”
The decision to invest in this coal-powered facility addresses a key vulnerability in the domestic agricultural sector. Farmers across the vital Corn Belt region currently rely on significant imports of ammonia fertilizer from countries including Canada, the Caribbean, the Middle East, and Russia. By creating an independent, American-made source, the Wabash project is expected to strengthen domestic supply chains, lead to lower costs for farmers and consumers, and significantly strengthen national food security.
Furthermore, the project delivers on the administration's promise to invest in struggling coal communities. Bringing the idled gasification plant back online will create hundreds of American jobs, marking a tangible economic boost for the region.
This financial closing represents the second closed loan under the recently established Energy Dominance Financing (EDF) Program, which was created as part of the Working Families Tax Cut, also known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The DOE stated that the loan was "carefully evaluated under the new LPO guidance directed by Secretary Wright," underscoring the administration's commitment to "responsibly steward taxpayer dollars and unleash American energy dominance."
The announcement, according to the DOE, highlights its deep commitment to achieving President Trump’s national security and energy dominance goals. The department’s strategy focuses on securing a domestic fertilizer supply for farmers and ensuring the American populace has "access to reliable, abundant, and affordable energy."
