Category: Digitalisation

Delegates gathered in Morocco in September for AFA's Technical Conference. We present selected highlights from this year’s event.

Does artificial intelligence (AI) really herald a revolution in fertilizer production and, if so, what are the practical examples of this?

Artificial intelligence is beginning to extend into all facets of modern life, and the chemical process industry is no exception. This article looks at where and how AI is being applied in the ammonia and downstream industries, what data and infrastructure are required, and the potential risks.

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.

thyssenkrupp Uhde has signed a 5-year framework service agreement with Brunei Fertilizer Industries, aimed at advancing digitalisation and implementing clean technologies in the fertilizer industry. Central to these efforts is the set-up and implementation of a digital twin, which will provide a virtual representation of the plant to enable real-time monitoring, predictive maintenance, and data-driven decision-making. This technology, together with specialized trainings, will allow BFI to enhance operational safety, reduce downtime, and achieve greater energy efficiency.

Days 2 and 3 of the CRU’s 38th Nitrogen+Syngas 2025 Expoconference turned to the technical sessions, organised in three parallel streams covering: green ammonia technology, nitric acid and ammonium nitrate, plant operations and reliability, urea technology, digitalisation, carbon capture, emissions reduction and sustainable fertilizer production, and fertilizer finishing.

Toyo Engineering Corporation has developed two new digital solutions, MethaMaster™ and MethaDynamics™ , which enhance the operational efficiency of e-methanol production from variable renewable energy.

A report on CRU’s annual Sulphur+Sulphuric Acid Conference, held in Barcelona, in early November.

The ‘golden batch’ refers to stable periods at production plants that consistently generate high quality NPK products at high output. Yara’s Golden Batch digital tool digitises and stores past data from optimal production runs, making these easy to retrieve and implement again in future. Yara’s Marianne Ytterbø provides an overview of this novel digital tool, explains how it was developed, and highlights key benefits.

Join us at the CRU Sulphur + Sulphuric Acid 2024 Conference and Exhibition in Barcelona, 4-6 November, for a global gathering of the sulphur and sulphuric acid community. Meet leading market and technology experts and producers, network, share knowledge, and learn about market trends and the latest developments in operations, process technology and equipment.