Section: CRUNS Features

Because of the ongoing pandemic, this year’s CRU Nitrogen + Syngas conference was held as a ‘virtual’ event, in early March 2021.

Georgy Eliseev , Principal Analyst at Fertecon for IHS Markit, looks at the medium to long term outlook for both ‘green’ and ‘blue’ ammonia production.

From new materials of construction and improved equipment designs to the latest digital tools, Casale, thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions, Saipem, TOYO and Stamicarbon report on some of their latest achievements.

A complete listing of all articles and news items that appeared in Nitrogen+Syngas magazine during 2020.

The year 2020 will be remembered as an uncertain, demanding and challenging year. When faced with a global pandemic, companies have adopted new approaches and remote inspection, monitoring and training using the latest digital tools has been key for the successful completion of projects. Stamicarbon, Casale and KBR share some of their experiences of the past year.

NOx emissions from chemical processes such as steam methane reforming contribute to air pollution. The chemical industry is required to take steps to lower such emissions. Technology, developed for related industries, can be designed and optimised to reduce NOx emissions from steam methane reformers. Emission control experts can use a combination of modelling and experience to guide plant operators in recommending and designing optimum, sometimes tailor-made solutions. In this article different options are discussed including low NOx burners, selective catalytic reduction, selective non-catalytic reduction and high emissivity ceramic coatings.

Natural gas pricing remains the dominant component of ammonia production costs. The fall in global oil and gas prices due to the Covid outbreak and the continued growth in the LNG market is continuing to break the hold of oil indexation on gas pricing. Meanwhile, reform of gas markets continues, in places as diverse as Brazil, China and India.

Part 1 of a two part look at a potential sustainable future for the nitrogen industry, looking at sustainable nitrogen management and nutrient use efficiency.

This year the CRU Nitrogen + Syngas conference is going virtual. From 1 to 3 March 2021, the CRU virtual event will offer a live and on-demand agenda, interactive exhibition and enhanced networking capabilities on a platform tailored to make remote access as easy as possible.

Dr MP Sukumaran Nair, policy analyst and director of the Centre for Green Technology & Management in Cochin, India, discusses the ways that digitisation is improving fertilizer plant operation.