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Summary
Integer Research's director of fertilizers, Oliver Hatfield, reports on the state of the speciality fertilizer market ahead of Integer's second Value Added Fertilizer Summit Asia in Singapore next February.Abstract
Those of you who’ve been regularly attending fertilizer industry conferences over the last few years will have noticed the increasing number of presentations devoted to products referred to as premium, value-added or speciality fertilizers. This is a sign that the value-added fertilizer business has become the industry zeitgeist – and a signal that what was once niche now appears to be moving into the mainstream. Keywords: Conference preview, Value added, Commodity fertilizers, Speciality, Specialty, Controlled release fertilizers, Slow release fertilizers, Enhanced efficiency fertilizers, EEFs, CRFs, SRFs, Conference Asia, Singapore, Integer ResearchSummary
A wave of new capacity is reshaping global nitrogen markets and trade dynamics, explains Doug Hoadley, CRU's head of nitrogen, and one of the industry's most experienced analysts. A tighter global market is ultimately expected as Chinese exports diminish.Abstract
Prices drifting lower The global nitrogen market has become over supplied over the last two years, pushing prices to the market floor. Leading benchmarks have drifted downwards, depressed by new supply (Figure 1). Keywords: Nitrogen, Outlook, Medium term, Forecast, Ammonia, Urea, Prices, Supply, Capacity, Demand, Consumption, Asia, Indonesia, Middle East, Iran, China, India, North America, Europe, BrazilSummary
Brazil is the world's fourth largest consumer of crop nutrients, reflecting its status as an agricultural powerhouse, regionally and globally. Brazil's fertilizer consumption is on track to reach record levels in 2017, reports Cleber Vieira of Agroconsult, although margins for the country's main crops look set to tighten.Abstract
Agribusiness is a vital, vibrant industry in Brazil. The sector contributes substantially to the country’s economic development by fostering domestic production, generating trade surpluses, increasing currency reserves and improving the country’s risk rating. Keywords: Brazil, Report, Outlook, Agriculture, Soil, Soybean, Corn, Cotton, Sugarcane, Prices, Profits, Margins, Fertilizer Crop nutrients, Demand, Consumption, Supply, Deliveries, Phosphate, Sulphur, Potash, Nitrogen, Potassium, Phosphorus, Urea, MAPSummary
Around 350 million tonnes of soybean are grown globally every year and processed to yield oil and meal, a major source of animal protein. Its cultivation in countries such as Brazil requires large applications of potash and phosphate. The nutrient needs of this major oilseed crop are reviewed.Abstract
Soybean (Glycine max.) is a bushy, green legume species native to East Asia. Now widely grown in the Americas, it produces an edible bean prized as a source of high-protein meal and oil. The pod-producing plant is related to clover, peas and alfalfa. It is typically planted in the late spring, each plant producing up to 80 pods in the summer on flowering. Individual pods contains 2-4 pea-sized beans which are rich in commercially-valuable protein and oil. Keywords: Crop, Nutrition, Soybean, Meal, Oil, Animal Feed, US, Brazil, Argentina, China, India, Paraguay, Canada, Fertilizer, Recommendations, Applications, Removal, Nutrients, Deficiency, Nitrogen Potassium, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Calcium, Sulphur, Potash, Phosphate, Born, Manganese, Zinc, Iron, Mosaic, K+S, Haifa, Compass Minerals, Sirius Minerals, Yara, ICL, Polysulphate, POLY4, YaraVita, Absoluto, MicroEssentials, Aspire, WolfTrax, DPP, ProAcqua, Haifa Bonus, Korn-Kali, ESTA KieseriteSummary
Maximising profitability has always been of paramount importance to sulphuric acid plant operators. Equipment upgrades are generally the most cost effective option for operators seeking to improve profitability and their competitive position. Replacing aging equipment with the latest technology helps to reduce operational expenditure and plant downtime, while increasing production capacity and energy efficiency.Abstract
Sulphuric acid plant design and technology are constantly evolving. Because of this, upgrades to sulphuric acid plants eventually become necessary to ensure they continue to remain economically viable. Replacing old equipment with the latest technology helps keep operating costs and profits competitive with the newest plants entering service. Historically-low price levels for sulphuric acid, commodity chemicals and metals also provide another strong incentive to raise output and improve energy efficiency by upgrading plant equipment. Keywords: Sulphuric acid, Technology, Upgrades, Debottlenecking, Revamps, NORAM, MECS, Chemetics, OutotecSummary
Most of the world's phosphoric acid is produced by the wet process via the dihydrate or hemihydrate route. Hadrien Leruth of Prayon Technologies outlines the range of process options for new and converted phosphoric acid plants and their relative merits and demerits.Abstract
The wet process route is the most economical and widely-adopted commercial production method for phosphoric acid globally. Phosphate rock is attacked with sulphuric acid, producing phosphoric acid and a solid calcium sulphate by-product. These are subsequently separated by filtration. Keywords: Phosphoric acid, Phosphate, Rock, Technology, Process, Prayon, Dihydrate, DH, Hemihydrate, HH, Central Prayon Process, CPP, Di Attack, Hemi Filtration, DA-HF, HDH, Hemi Recrystallisation, HRC, Crystallisation, Crystallization, GypsumSummary
Russian company OAO Stroytransgaz plans to start mining phosphate from deposits near Palmyra, following the city's recapture by the Syrian army. In an exclusive report, our Russian correspondent Eugene Gerden reveals Russia's plans for phosphate production in Syria.Abstract
Russian billionaire businessman Gennady Timchenko wants to mine phosphate in Syria on a large-scale for the export market. His ambitious plan to mine Syrian phosphate rock on a massive scale – and manufacture fertilizers from these – has been confirmed by the Russian government’s press service and Timchenko’s personal spokesman. The businessman is said to be close to the Russian President, Vladimir Putin. Keywords: Syria, Russia, Palmyra, Homs, Phosphate, Mining, Deposits, Resources, Rock, Export, Stroytransgaz, General Fertilizer Company, GFC, STG GroupSummary
In an exclusive series of interviews with the senior management team at Sirius Minerals, we report on progress at the Woodsmith polyhalite mine in North Yorkshire, England, as the project prepares for shaft sinking.Abstract
No one could accuse Sirius Minerals of lacking ambition. The company is aiming to create a new ten million tonne capacity polyhalite mine in the UK over the next five years at a cost of $2.9 billion – and create more than one thousand jobs in the process. Even the normally sober Financial Times has been struck by the massive scale and economic significance of the enterprise. “[This] vast new fertiliser mine… represents one of Britain’s most ambitious industrial investments in decades,” the newspaper said in March, adding: “The deep shaft mine would be sunk to a depth of 1,500 metres, the equivalent of five Shard skyscrapers stacked one on top of the other, making it the deepest mine in Britain – and the second-deepest in Europe.” Keywords: Sirius Minerals, Hochtief Murphy Joint Venture, HMJV, AMC, Polyhalite, POLY4, Woodsmith Mine, North Yorkshire, Whitby, England, Mine, Port, Mineral transport system, MTS, Materials handling facility, MHF, Construction, Shaft sinking, D-Walling, Agronomy, Offtake, Agreements, Crops, Trials, Finance, Investment, Hancock Prospecting