• Skip to main content

    Sulphur 419 Jul-Aug 2025

    16 July 2025

    Karatau expansion onstream next year

    KAZAKHSTAN

    Karatau expansion onstream next year

    EuroChem says that it expects the Phase III expansion project at its Karatau phosphate development in Kazakhstan to be onstream by 2026. In its Annual Report, EuroChem says that it signed an agreement with the China National Chemical Engineering Co. in May 2024 for the engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning of the chemical complex, and construction is now underway. The company says that it has also had state permits for the construction of additional sulphuric acid production, where the installation of large-capacity equipment is already underway and the first product is expected in 2026. The fertilizer plant is expected to have a capacity of around 1 million t/a, with a construction cost of $1.1 billion for the project. Phosphate reserves at Karatau are put at 41 million tonnes.

    Latest in Agricultural

    Price Trends

    Ammonia values have continued to ease across most regions at the end of June, as the first ammonia vessels begin to exit the Gulf since the Iranian conflict began. Iranian ammonia had also begun to flow to India following the US Treasury’s issuance of a 60-day sanctions waiver on 22 June, allowing dollar-denominated trade in Iranian petrochemical products through 21 August. As a result, Indian bids have been heard as low as $750/t c.fr, as buyers benefit from a widening pool of available supply - Iranian, Chinese and renewed Southeast Asian material are all competing for the same business.