Author: timstephens

Air Liquide is developing a new ammonia cracking technology based on its proven steam methane reforming (including SMRX™ ) technology, which introduces a heat exchange concept to cut energy use, lower environmental impact, and potentially eliminate steam export. Leveraging extensive SMR design expertise, a robust R&D programme, and an industrialscale NH3 cracking pilot plant, it aims to rapidly mature all technology blocks and deliver safe, reliable, and customisable lowcarbon hydrogen solutions to meet growing demand.

Ammonia is poised to grow beyond fertilizers into energy transition roles, with lowcarbon pathways via blue ammonia and green ammonia, supported by existing logistics and market structures. To support this transition, Stamicarbon is expanding its NX STAMI™ ammonia technologies – with a mediumpressure design for large, CCUSintegrated plants and a highpressure design for small/ medium renewable projects – demonstrating efficiency, reliability, and cost advantages.

While sulphuric acid production is dominated by sulphur burning or metallurgical acid routes, pyrite roasting remains a niche sector, particularly in China.

Smelter outages and tight concentrate markets ease an oversupplied market.

While north Africa’s sulphur demand is dominated by its phosphate industry, south of the Sahara it is copper, cobalt and uranium mining, leaching and smelting that hold sway over acid production and demand.

Join us at the 2025 Sulphur + Sulphuric Acid Expoconference in The Woodlands, Texas, 3-5November, for a truly global gathering of the sulphur and sulphuric acid community, where leading market and technology experts and producers will gather to connect, share knowledge, exchange ideas and learn about market trends and the latest developments in operations, technology, processes and equipment.

In this CRU Insight, Peter Harrisson reports on how battery materials have become a powerful driver of sulphur consumption growth.

Matrix PDM Engineering discusses the importance of management and control of sulphur dust during the forming and handling of sulphur throughout the entire solid sulphur lifecycle while maintaining commercially acceptable product that contains less than 2.0% overall moisture.

Metso describes how digital solutions can profit from the deep integration of using a digital process twin in sulphuric acid technology, helping to improve operation, monitoring and reporting.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries is developing a low temperature ammonia cracking technology (HyMACS™ ) that leverages exhaust heat from existing sources, such as boilers, steam turbines, engines, and heating furnaces. This innovative approach, which also includes the development of more efficient membrane separation technology using molecular sieves for hydrogen purification, is designed to offer a more sustainable, reliable and cost-effective pathway towards hydrogen production.