Nitrogen+Syngas 372 Jul-Aug 2021
31 July 2021
Latest in Industrial
€1.3 million K+S project offers support to 10,000 East African farmers
The ‘Grow Eastern Africa’ project aims to improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers by delivering higher yields and promoting climate-smart farming practices.
Uniper selects Topsoe for technology license
Topsoe has signed a contract with international energy company Uniper, to deliver front end engineering design (FEED) for the company’s NorthStarH2 green methanol project in Östersund, Northern Sweden.
Restart for Hongda smelter
Hongda's 100,000 t/a zinc smelter, in China's Sichuan Province, completed scheduled maintenance and equipment upgrading and officially resumed production on 21st June, the company said. The smelter had been shut down for planned maintenance since January, during which time a modernisation project for the electrolytic zinc smelting system was also carried out. Following the nearly six-month revamp, the resumption of production is expected to improve overall operational efficiency, reduce unit production costs, and increase the utilisation rate, The company said. The stable supply of sulphuric acid generated by the zinc smelter will effectively leverage the synergies of the "sulphur-phosphorus" industrial chain in the company, an help alleviate cost pressures on the company's phosphorus chemical business segment.
Price Trends
The global sulphur market has entered a holding pattern, as a wave of bearish sentiment has so far failed to move stubbornly high spot prices. The departure of a significant volume of product from the Middle East has emboldened buyers and shifted market sentiment firmly towards bearish, but at time of writing this has so far failed to translate into lower prices. With sellers in no hurry to lower prices and spot availability still tight, the market has stalled as both sides wait for the other to blink first.
Market Outlook
• The market has paused as bearish buyer sentiment has not yet translated into lower spot prices. The direction of the next major deal is now the critical test. This will either initiate a downward price correction, validating buyer caution, or force a recognition of the market’s underlying tightness and bring purchasers back to the table at current levels.