Section: CRUSU Industry News

AMETEK Process Instruments has expanded its 993X series of gas analysers – including both 993X and 9933 models – with new explosion-proof enclosures certified for ATEX and IECEx Zone 1 hazardous locations. AMETEK says that the new design enables reliable analyser installation in applications where purge gas is unavailable or impractical, addressing a common challenge in remote and utility-limited facilities. The explosion-proof 993X enclosure is rated IP66 and NEMA 4X, allowing outdoor installation and operation in minimally temperature-controlled environments. By eliminating the need for a continuous inert purge gas supply, the design helps reduce installation complexity, operating costs, and overall system infrastructure requirements.

CRU welcomes you to the 2026 Sulphur+Sulphuric Acid 2026 Conference and Exhibition at the Estrel in Berlin 3-5 November. Join us for a truly global gathering of the sulphur and sulphuric acid community, where leading market and technology experts and producers will gather to connect, share knowledge, exchange ideas and learn about market trends and the latest developments in operations, technology, processes and equipment.

Sulphur magazine has a new name – Sulphur+Sulphuric Acid – to reflect what it has always represented: the close and enduring connection between the sulphur and sulphuric acid industries, and the wider value chains they support.

Average phosphate rock grades globally have been on the slide since the 1970s. CRU’s Maria Gamboa looks at the most recent trends in rock grade and the cost implications for phosphate fertilizer production.

Russia's sulphur supply is under renewed pressure after another Ukrainian strike hit the Astrakhan gas processing plant, a facility vital to the country's fertilizer industry and responsible for over 60% of its sulphur output.

Brazil’s National Association for the Diffusion of Fertilizers (ANDA) has proposed an emergency $375 million subsidy to shield farmers from soaring sulphur prices. The proposal was presented to the government during the International Brazil Congress in São Paulo on 25 August.

Ecovyst reported 2Q 2026 sales of $250.0 million, up 42% from $176.1 million in 2025, driven by higher volumes and pricing, including about $55 million of sulphur cost pass-through. Net income rose to $10.7 million (a margin of 4.3%), while adjusted net income was $23.4 million. Adjusted EBITDA increased 27% to $53.1 million.

The Indian government is considering a new financial relief package for its domestic fertilizer industry aimed at protecting its agricultural sector from volatile global markets, according to a Department of Fertilizers (DoF) document dated 14 August. The proposal directly addresses the impact of the "West Asia crisis" on key raw material costs.

Three of the world's major phosphate producers used their second-quarter 2026 results to lay out how far a global sulphur squeeze is now cutting into their phosphate businesses.

Algeria's Sonatrach and the Algerian Fertilizers Company (AFC) on 12 August signed engineering, procurement and construction contracts with Italy's Saipem and China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) for the first phase of the country's Integrated Phosphate Project (PPI).