Section: CRUFI Features

We profile a selection of innovative speciality products and agronomic technologies that have recently been brought to market.

Weir Minerals has the global engineering expertise to tackle the world’s harshest and most extreme mine and quarry environments. These range from Canada’s frozen north to tropical Indonesia and the remote deserts of Chile, Mongolia and Australia. This expertise extends to Florida’s phosphate mining district, where a dedicated multi-disciplinary team is delivering an integrated approach to some tough mining challenges.

As the industrial value chain for fertilizers and their raw materials manages its way through the unprecedented global Covid-19 pandemic, Metso Outotec’s Hannes Storch, Collin Bartlett & Marcus Runkel reflect on the range of digital tools installed by the company at its industrial reference plants globally.

The phosphates market to date has remained remarkably resilient during the Covid-19 pandemic. Despite early fears, 2020 has seen strong overall demand so far and no major supply-side disruptions. But concerns still lie ahead, as Alberto Persona , principal phosphate analyst at Fertecon/IHS Markit, explains.

Sulphur is becoming an increasingly important crop nutrient – due to a combination of lower sulphur emissions, the increasing prevalence of high-analysis fertilizers and higher cropping intensity.

Following the publication of the 2020 nitrogen project listing by our sister magazine Nitrogen+Syngas, we profile a selection of leading nitrogen projects and their process licensors. Australia, Egypt, India, Nigeria and Russia have been key countries for new project developments.

Fertilizer International reached its 50th anniversary in 2019. The magazine’s continuing success is built on mutually beneficial partnerships forged over five decades. This year, we will continue to show our appreciation by profiling a much-valued commercial supporter in the magazine. This issue it’s the turn of the Lewis ® brand from Weir Minerals.

Crystallisation, as a powerful separation technology and production process, is helping the fertilizer industry diversify its product mix, improve profitability and enhance sustainability, as Sana Boulabiar and Matias Navarro, of Veolia Water Technologies North America, explain.

Evaporation and crystallisation are widely used throughout the fertilizer industry. Major applications and the types of equipment used are reviewed by Laurent Palierne and Norbert Strieder of GEA Group.

Digitalisation and the analysis of big data are playing an increasing role in fertilizer production. Innovative digital and cloud-based services are being offered by a range of technology companies, including Casale, tkIS, Topsoe and TOYO.