Section: CRUFI Market & Features

Blended and compound NPK fertilizers are a mainstay of many markets globally. We review the main production technology options.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has hit European fertilizer producers hard. Ammonia plants across the continent have been inactive over the winter due to prohibitively high feedstock costs. The future of nitrogen fertilizer production in the region will depend on access to an affordable, secure and sustainable energy supply and the switchover to low-carbon technologies.

Potash production improvements are being made in areas such as ore extraction, cooling and froth flotation. We review technological developments from Sandvik, Eriez, Nouryon and Solex Thermal Science.

Sulphur is a vital secondary crop nutrient. It can be delivered in sulphate, thiosulphate and elemental form. The range of product and process options are outlined.

We look ahead at fertilizer industry prospects for the next 12 months, including the key economic and agricultural drivers likely to shape the market during 2023.

More than 650 delegates from 326 companies and 56 countries gathered at the Hotel RIU Plaza España, Madrid, Spain, 17-19 October 2022, for the Argus Fertilizer Europe 2022 conference.

Advances in technology, equipment and reagents are enhancing phosphate fertilizer production. Optimisation of standard equipment is also vital for ensuring process efficiency.

Turkey’s thriving agricultural sector has created a large and dynamic fertilizer market at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, explains Hakan Goral, the CEO of Tekfen Agri Industry Group.

CRU Events will convene the 2023 Phosphates International Conference & Exhibition in Istanbul at the Hilton Bomonti Hotel, 27 February to 1 March.

Market Insight courtesy of Argus Media. Urea: The market remained weak at the start of the year with urea prices falling as producers fought for liquidity. Egyptian product fell by $40/t to $495/t f.o.b. in a matter of days, while f.o.b. prices in the Middle East and southeast Asia similarly fell to around $440/t. Urea prices in many end-user markets also slumped: US prices fell over the course of the first week of January by $30/t, Brazil by $15/t and many European markets by around $20/t.