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    Nitrogen+Syngas 399 Jan-Feb 2026

    27 January 2026

    ASU contract for blue methanol plant

    ASU contract for blue methanol plant

    Air Water Gas Solutions, a subsidiary of Air Water America, will build an air separation unit to support the production of 1.1 million t/a of blue methanol at Sandpiper Chemicals’ blue methanol facility in the US. The low carbon methanol producer has contracted Air Water to design, build, and operate the ASU to provide oxygen, nitrogen, and instrument air for blue methanol production. The project is still at the pre-final investment decision (FID) stage, with production targeted for 2030.

    Sandpiper Chemicals’ plant will also feature SynCOR autothermal reforming technology, developed by technology and solutions company Topsoe. The plant is expected to reform natural gas into hydrogen-rich syngas, capture much of the CO2, and use the hydrogen in that syngas to produce blue methanol.

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    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.

    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.