Seshu Dharmavaram of Air Products and Venkat Pattabathula of SVP Chemical Plant Services describe the Dakar ammonia accident, which occurred in Senegal on March 24th, 1992. It is claimed to be the worst industrial ammonia accident ever, leaving 129 dead and 1,150 injured.
Market Insight courtesy of Argus Media
Optimisation of the nitric acid process depends on good process visualisation tailored to the specific process parameters of the plant, improvements in combustion efficiency, reduction of N2 O emissions and the optimal use of platinum group metals.
Most nitric acid is used for production of fertilizer nitrates and ammonium nitrate explosives, but it is also used in polyamides, polyurethanes and aniline dyes as well as a number of industrial processes including ore treatment. High ammonia prices have pushed nitric acid prices to record levels this year, but growth predictions remain robust.
Casale reviews urea plant revamping process schemes and successful case studies for energy savings and TOYO discusses its latest revamping technologies including application of the new generation low-pressure, energy-saving ACES21-LP™ process.
Overall the market finds itself in a period of illiquidity, and is exposed to further uncertainty in 4Q because of the European energy crisis. Spiralling natural gas costs in Europe, with Dutch TTF gas prices trading around e200/MWh, are forcing European fertilizer producers to close ammonia capacity and buy in from overseas.
The war in Ukraine has severely affected the supply of ammonium nitrate and CAN from Russia and Ukraine, with particular potential impact on Europe and Latin America. Can urea make up the difference?
A round-up of current and proposed projects involving non-nitrogen synthesis gas derivatives, including methanol, hydrogen, synthetic/substitute natural gas (SNG) and gas- and coal-to-liquids (GTL/CTL) plants.
Nitrogen+Syngas’s annual listing of new ammonia, urea, nitric acid and ammonium nitrate plants.
Yara and Mosaic shocked markets with a settlement of $1,625/t c.fr for April, up $490/t on March, and the highest ever price recorded at Tampa, as the removal of Russian and Ukrainian ammonia supply impacted global prices, and Baltic rates soared to $1,500/t. However, April saw some of the global dislocations caused by the Russian conflict begin to ease, while the high prices saw buyers in the US delay purchases, leading to the Tampa price falling back $200/t for May loadings.