Join us at IFA in Monaco – and online

The 34th IFA Annual Conference in Monaco is a natural place to talk about nitrogen – not just as a commodity, but as a system shaped by technology, policy and geopolitics. If you are at the event, please come and say hello at the CRU stand in the expo. You can pick up a free print copy of our special Nitrogen+Syngas IFA edition and talk to CRU colleagues about subscribing to the magazine or taking a free trial to explore our online content and newsletters.

For this conference issue, we’ve brought together three pieces that reflect how quickly the nitrogen world is changing.

In “Green ammonia technology in Uzbekistan”, we look at a country with deep roots in ammonia production and a surprisingly long history with electrolysis – from pioneering industrial electrolysers at Chirchiq in the 1940s through to today’s ACWA Power green hydrogen pilot. The article shows how a mature fertilizer sector, historic know how and fast growing renewables are now being combined to build certified green ammonia and nitrogen fertilizer exports, with CBAM and RFNBO requirements firmly in view.

“Policy impacts on nitrogen markets” steps back to look at the global picture. It explains how urea and wider nitrogen markets now sit at the crossroads of agriculture, energy, trade and geopolitics – and why conflicts, gas curtailments, export controls and tariffs can move prices and trade flows as fast as feedstock costs or crop prices. From the Strait of Hormuz and Iran to Europe’s tariff and CBAM package, Russia’s redirected exports, China’s managed quotas, and India’s import dependence, the piece sets out why policy has become one of the main drivers of nitrogen economics.

In “The market for ammonium phosphates”, we follow the knock on effects into phosphates and sulphur. A market that was already tight has been thrown into further disruption by the Iran war, reduced Gulf exports and extraordinary sulphur prices. The article traces how Chinese restrictions, OCP’s adjusted output, Ma’aden’s logistical workaround via Yanbu, and changing buying patterns in India, Brazil and the United States are combining to keep MAP/DAP prices high and make supply, affordability and product choice more complex for buyers.

If you are not in Monaco this week, you can still read all of these articles. We’ve ungated the conference content online, and you can download the Nitrogen+Syngas IFA edition via the magazine downloads page to see the full set of stories we’ve taken to the event. If you are not yet a subscriber, you can use that route to explore the issue and then take a free trial to access our wider library of Nitrogen+Syngas technical and market coverage.

I hope you enjoy the Monaco edition and look forward to hearing your thoughts – whether that’s at the stand, in your inbox, or via our online platforms.

Richard Hands
Editor, Nitrogen+Syngas