CVR PARTNERS LP

Annual Report on Form 10-K

GLOSSARY OF SELECTED TERMS

The following are definitions of certain terms used in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Ammonia — Ammonia is a direct application fertilizer and is primarily used as a building block for other nitrogen products for industrial applications and finished fertilizer products.

Capacity — Capacity is defined as the throughput a process unit is capable of sustaining, either on a calendar or operating day basis. The throughput may be expressed in terms of maximum sustainable, nameplate or economic capacity. The maximum sustainable or nameplate capacities may not be the most economical. The economic capacity is the throughput that generally provides the greatest economic benefit based on considerations such as feedstock costs, product values, regulatory compliance costs and downstream unit constraints.

Corn belt— The primary corn producing region of the United States, which Green Markets defines as Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, and Ohio.

Ethanol — A clear, colorless, flammable oxygenated hydrocarbon. Ethanol is typically produced chemically from ethylene, or biologically from fermentation of various sugars from carbohydrates found in agricultural crops and cellulosic residues from crops or wood. It is used in the United States as a gasoline octane enhancer and oxygenate.

MMBtu — One million British thermal units, or Btu: a measure of energy. One Btu of heat is required to raise the temperature of one pound of water one degree Fahrenheit.

MSCF — One thousand standard cubic feet, a customary gas measurement.

Petroleum coke (pet coke) — A coal-like substance that is produced during the oil refining process.

Product pricing at gate — Product pricing at gate represents net sales less freight revenue divided by product sales volume in tons. Product pricing at gate is also referred to as netback.

Southern Plains — The southern portion of the Great Plains, which Green Markets defines as Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.

Spot market — A market in which commodities are bought and sold for cash and delivered immediately.

Turnaround— A periodically performed standard procedure to inspect, refurbish, repair, and maintain the plant assets. This process involves the shutdown and inspection of major processing units and generally occurs every three years. A turnaround will typically extend the operating life of a facility and return performance to desired operating levels.

UAN — An aqueous solution of urea and ammonium nitrate used as a fertilizer.

Utilization — Measurement of the annual production of UAN and ammonia expressed as a percentage of the facilities’ nameplate production capacity.

Important Information Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 (this “Report”) contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), including, but not limited to, those under Item 1. Business, Item 1A. Risk Factors and Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control. All statements other than statements of historical fact, including without limitation, statements regarding future operations, financial position, estimated revenues and losses, growth, capital projects, unit repurchases, impacts of legal proceedings, projected costs, prospects, plans, and objectives of management are forward-looking statements. The words “could”, “believe”, “anticipate”, “intend”, “estimate”, “expect”, “may”, “continue”, “predict”, “potential”, “project”, and similar terms and phrases are intended to identify forward-looking statements.

Although we believe our assumptions concerning future events are reasonable, a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors could cause actual results and trends to differ materially from those projected or forward-looking. Forward-looking statements, as well as certain risks, contingencies, or uncertainties that may impact our forward-looking statements, include, but are not limited to, the following:

•our ability to generate distributable cash or make cash distributions on our common units, including reserves and future uses of cash;

•the ability of our general partner to modify or revoke our distribution policy at any time;

•the volatile, cyclical, and seasonal nature of our business and the variable nature of our distributions;

•the effects of changes in market conditions; market volatility; fertilizer, natural gas, and other commodity prices; inflation, and the impact of such changes on our operating results and financial condition;

•the impact of weather on our business, including our ability to produce, market, sell, transport or deliver fertilizer products profitably or at all, and on commodity supply and/or pricing;

•the dependence of our operations on a few third-party suppliers, including providers of feedstocks, transportation services, and equipment;

•our reliance on, or our ability to procure economically or at all, pet coke we purchase from subsidiaries of CVR Energy, Inc. (together with its subsidiaries, but excluding the Partnership and its subsidiaries, “CVR Energy”) and other third-party suppliers;

•our reliance on the natural gas, electricity, oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur processing, compressed dry air and other products that we purchase from third parties;

•the supply, availability, and prices of essential raw materials and the effects of inflation thereupon;

•our production levels, including the risk of a material decline in those levels, and/or our ability to upgrade ammonia to UAN;

•product pricing, including spot and contracted sales, the timing thereof, and our ability to realize market prices, in full or at all;

•accidents or other unscheduled shutdowns or interruptions affecting our facilities, machinery, people, or equipment, or those of our suppliers or customers;

•potential operating hazards from accidents, fire, severe weather, tornadoes, floods or other natural disasters;

•operational upsets or changes in laws that could impact our ability to qualify for, the amount of, and/or the receipt of credits (if any) under Section 45Q of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended;

•our ability to meet certain carbon oxide capture and sequestration milestones;

•our ability to obtain, retain, or renew permits, licenses (including technology licenses) and authorizations to operate our business;

•competition in the nitrogen fertilizer business and foreign wheat and coarse grain production, including impacts thereof as a result of farm planting acreage, domestic and global supply and demand, and domestic or international duties, tariffs, or other factors;

•changes in our credit profile and the effects of higher interest rates and/or restrictions in our current or future debt agreements;

•existing and future laws, rulings and regulations, including but not limited to those relating to the environment, climate change, and/or the transportation or production of hazardous chemicals, materials, or substances, like ammonia, including potential liabilities or capital requirements arising from such laws, rulings, or regulations;

•erosion of demand for our products due to increasing focus on climate change and environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) initiatives or other factors;

•ESG including but not limited to compliance with ESG-related recommendations or directives and risks or impacts relating thereto, whether from regulators, rating agencies, lenders, investors, litigants, customers, vendors, the public or others;

•alternative energy or fuel sources and impacts on corn prices (ethanol), and the end-use and application of fertilizers;

•risks of terrorism, cybersecurity attacks, the security of chemical manufacturing facilities and other matters beyond our control;

•political disturbances, geopolitical conflicts, instability and tensions, and associated changes in global trade policies and economic sanctions, including, but not limited to, in connection with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and the conflict between Israel and Hamas, and any ongoing or potential global or regional conflicts;

•our lack of asset diversification;

•our dependence on significant customers and the creditworthiness and performance by counterparties;

•our potential loss of transportation cost advantage over our competitors;

•risks associated with third party operation of or control over important facilities necessary for operation of our nitrogen fertilizer facilities;

•the volatile nature of ammonia, potential liability for accidents involving ammonia including damage or injury to persons, property, the environment or human health and increased costs related to the transport or production of ammonia;

•our potential inability to successfully implement our business strategies, including the completion of significant capital programs or projects;

•our reliance on CVR Energy’s management team and conflicts of interest they may face operating each of CVR Partners and CVR Energy;

•control of our general partner by CVR Energy and control of CVR Energy by its controlling shareholder;

•the potential inability to successfully implement our business strategies at all or on time and within our anticipated budgets, including significant capital programs or projects and turnarounds at our fertilizer facilities and the costs thereof;

•asset useful lives and impairments and impacts thereof;

•realizable inventory value;

•the number of investors willing to hold or acquire our common units;

•our ability to issue securities or obtain financing at favorable rates or at all;

•bank failures or other events affecting financial institutions;

•changes in tax and other law, regulations and policies;

•impact of potential runoff of water containing nitrogen based fertilizer into waterways and regulatory or legal actions in response thereto;

•changes in our treatment as a partnership for U.S. federal income or state tax purposes;

•rulings, judgments or settlements in litigation, tax or other legal or regulatory matters;

•instability and volatility in the capital, credit and commodities markets and in the global economy, including due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war;

•competition, transactions, and/or conflicts with CVR Energy and its affiliates, including CVR Energy’s controlling shareholder;

•the cost and value of payouts under our equity and non-equity incentive plans;

•the cost and/or availability of insurance and our ability to recover under our insurance policies for damages or losses in full or at all; and

•labor supply shortages, labor difficulties, labor disputes, or strikes and the impact thereof on our business, operations or financial results.

All forward-looking statements included in this Report are based on information available to us on the date of this Report. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Information About Us

Investors should note that we make available, free of charge on our website at www.CVRPartners.com, our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, and any amendments to those reports as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish it to, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). We also post announcements, updates, events, investor information and presentations on our website in addition to copies of all recent news releases. We may use the Investor Relations section of our website to communicate with investors. It is possible that the financial and other information posted there could be deemed to be material information. Documents and information on our website are not incorporated by reference herein.

The SEC maintains a website at www.sec.gov that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers, including us, that file electronically with the SEC.

Risk Factor Summary

This summary of risks below is intended to provide an overview of the risks we face and should not be considered a substitute for the more fulsome risk factors discussed in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Risks Related to Our Business

•The cyclical and highly volatile nature of our business and nitrogen fertilizer and feedstock prices.

•The market for natural gas has been volatile, and fluctuations in natural gas prices could affect our competitive position.

•Nitrogen fertilizer products and our business face intense competition.

•The dynamic pricing environment for nitrogen fertilizer products, as well as any changes to government policy regarding fertilizer pricing in response thereto.

•Our business is geographically concentrated and subject to regional economic downturns and seasonal variations for us or our customers.

•The loss of several significant customers may have a material adverse impact on our business.

•Any decline in U.S. agricultural production or limitations on the use of nitrogen fertilizer for agricultural purposes.

•Compliance with and changes in environmental laws and regulations could adversely affect our business.

•Any previous or future pandemic, and actions taken in response thereto, could materially adversely affect our business.

•We are subject to cybersecurity risks and may experience cyber incidents resulting in disruption or harm to our business.

•Changes in privacy, cybersecurity and data protection laws could result in harm to our business.

•An increase in inflation could have adverse effects on our results of operations.

Risks Related to Our Plant Operations

•Failure by CVR Energy’s Coffeyville refinery or other third parties to continue to supply us with pet coke.

•Any interruption in the supply of natural gas to our East Dubuque Facility.

•If licensed technology were no longer available or able to be licensed economically or at all, our business may be adversely affected.

•Our operations are dependent on third-party suppliers, which could have a material adverse effect on our business.

•We rely on third-parties for transportation services and equipment.

•Any liability for accidents involving ammonia or other products we produce or transport that cause severe damage to property or injury to the environment and human health could have a material adverse effect on our business.

•We could incur significant costs in cleaning up contamination.

•We may be unable to obtain or renew permits or approvals necessary for our operations.

•Acts of terror or sabotage, threats of war, armed conflict or war may have an adverse impact on our business.

•Adverse weather conditions or other unforeseen developments could damage our facilities or logistics assets and impact our ability to produce and deliver our nitrogen fertilizer products.

•Our facilities face significant risks due to physical damage hazards, environmental liability risk exposure, and unplanned or emergency partial or total plant shutdowns which could cause property damage and a material decline in production which are not fully insured.

•A failure to comply with laws and regulations regarding employee and process safety.

•Our business may suffer due to a skilled labor shortage or the departure of any of our key employees.

•A portion of our workforce is unionized, and we are subject to the risk of labor disputes, slowdowns or strikes, which may disrupt our business and increase our costs.

Risks Related to Our Capital Structure

•Instability and volatility in the capital, credit, and commodity markets in the global economy.

•Our level of indebtedness may affect our ability to operate our business.

•Covenants in our debt agreements could limit our ability to incur additional indebtedness and engage in certain transactions, as well as limit operational flexibility.

•We may not be able to generate sufficient cash to service all of our indebtedness.

•Mr. Carl C. Icahn’s controlling ownership of CVR Energy, and his interests or those of CVR Energy may conflict with our interests.

•An increase in interest rates will cause our debt service obligations to increase.

Risks Related to Our Limited Partnership Structure

•We may not have sufficient “available cash” to pay any quarterly distribution on common units, or the board of directors of the Partnership’s general partner (the “Board”) may elect to take reserves or distribute less than all of our available cash.

•Our partnership agreement has limited our general partner’s liability, replaces default fiduciary duties, and restricts the remedies available to common unitholders for actions that, without these limitations and reductions, might otherwise constitute breaches of fiduciary duty.

•Our general partner’s interests may conflict with the interests of our public common unitholders.

•We qualify for and rely upon certain exemptions from many of the NYSE’s corporate governance requirements.

•Our public common unitholders have limited voting rights and are not entitled to elect our general partner or our general partner’s directors and do not have sufficient voting power to remove our general partner without CVR Energy’s consent.

•Common unitholders may have liability to repay distributions.

Tax Risks Related to Common Unitholders

•If the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) were to treat us as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes or we become subject to entity-level taxation for state tax purposes.

•If the IRS makes audit adjustments to our income tax returns, it may assess and collect any taxes (including any applicable penalties and interest) resulting from such audit adjustments directly from us.

•Our unitholders are required to pay income taxes on their share of our taxable income even if they do not receive any cash distributions from us.

•Common unitholders may be subject to limitation on their ability to deduct interest expense incurred by us.

•Non-U.S. common unitholders will be subject to U.S. taxes and withholding with respect to their income and gain from owning our common units.

•Tax-exempt entities face unique tax issues from owning our common units that may result in adverse tax consequences.

•The IRS may challenge our treatment of each purchaser of our common units as having the same tax benefits without regard to the common units actually purchased, which could adversely affect the value of our common units.

•Our proration methods may be challenged by the IRS.

•IRS challenge of certain valuation methodologies we have adopted to determine a unitholder’s allocations of income, gain, loss, and deduction, could adversely affect the value of our common units.

•Our common unitholders will likely be subject to state and local taxes, as well as income tax return filing requirements, in jurisdictions where they do not live as a result of investing in our common units.

General Risks Related to the Partnership

•The acquisition and expansion strategy of our business involves significant risks.

•Internally generated cash flows and other sources of liquidity may not be adequate for our capital needs.