Magazine: 423 Mar-Apr 2026

First Phosphate Corp. says that it has finalised an agreement for a C$16.7 million non-repayable contribution from the Government of Canada via Natural Resources Canada’s Global Partnerships Initiative. The company says that the funding will accelerate the development of its phosphate project in Bégin-Lamarche by developing the technical and engineering parameters – including processing circuits and equipment – needed to validate the ability to produce a phosphate concentrate that meets the quality requirements of the lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery market. The work will be conducted based on parameters established under the contract between First Phosphate and its definitive offtaker.

Conflict in the Middle East has halted all vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, effectively paralysing a region that accounts for 48% of global seaborne sulphur trade. As a result, the sulphur spot market has ground to a halt, with prices notionally holding unchanged in the $490-515/t f.o.b. range simply due to a lack of activity. No spot offers were reported out of the Middle East.

Sulphur recovery units in petroleum refineries and natural gas processing plants utilise incineration as a final treatment step for tail gas, ensuring that residual sulphur compounds are converted to less harmful emissions. Elmo Nasato of Nasato Consulting Ltd compares the two sulphur plant incinerator options – thermal incineration and catalytic incineration – including key considerations for policymakers, businesses, and environmental advocates.

The 8th SulGas® Mumbai sulphur recovery and gas treating conference and exhibition, organised by Three Ten Initiative Technologies LLP, took place on 5 and 6 February 2026. We report on some of the key topics on the agenda.

Efficient sulphur recovery is essential for modern refineries to meet stringent environmental regulations and support sustainability goals. Fluor examines the key design considerations, smart design strategies and flexible sulphur block configurations that are essential in achieving an overall optimised design. Together, these strategies enhance efficiency, reduce emissions, improve reliability, and provide flexibility for changing crude qualities, ensuring compliant and economically robust refinery operations.

Worley Comprimo has carried out an evaluation of technologies allowing 99.8+% sulphur recovery for an Indian refinery case. The TopClaus process was compared to alternative technologies, focussing on modern technical challenges, investment operation and maintenance costs, as well as CO2 considerations.

Coromandel International says that it has started trial production at its new sulphuric acid and phosphoric acid plants in Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh. The company says that this marks a crucial step towards transforming the unit into a fully integrated facility