Section: Industry News

Grupa Azoty SA is set to begin producing its new multi-component fertilizer – POLIFOSKA Multi S –at its Police site in Poland. This launch marks the latest addition to the company’s fertilizer portfolio, joining the likes of megAN (a high-granule ammonium nitrate fertilizer), RSM OPTIMA (a nitrate-urea solution with a distinctive light blue colour for easy product origin identification), and eNpluS (an ammonium fertilizer enriched with sulphur and calcium). POLIFOSKA Multi-S is designed with readily soluble and plant-available nutrients: 7% nitrogen in ammoniacal form, 10% phosphorus, 20% potassium, 5% calcium, 1% magnesium, and 23% sulphur in sulphate form. It is also enriched with silicon. Thanks to its excellent water solubility, the nutrients are rapidly delivered to the roots, supporting plant development from the very start of the growing season.

Yara says that it plans to wind down production of phosphate fertilizers and sulphuric acid at two sites in Brazil; Cubatão and Paulínia. The sites are expected to cease production by 3Q 2025, as part of what Yara describes as a strategy to concentrate on more sustainable operations focused on its main activity: the production of nitrogen fertilizers. At Cubatão, the suspension will affect unit 3 and the phosphate plants of unit 2, while units 1 and 2, responsible for the production of nitrogen, in addition to the mixer (unit 5), will continue to operate normally. Yara reported a net loss of $290 million in 4Q 2024, down $536 million from the $246 million profit it made in 4Q 2023. Revenues are down 11% for the year, leading Yara to announce a cost reduction and investment program of $150 million, with the aim of optimising its operations and focusing on strategic areas to ensure long-term sustainability. At the same time, the company has begun renewable ammonia production at Cubatão.

Spetco’s contract with the Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) to install depletion compression systems and sulphur recovery units (SRUs) is said to be awaiting final approval. The $460 million project will upgrade two key facilities in North Kuwait, and Spetco says that it expects project execution will start quickly after final approval. The project involves installing new units at the Early Production Facility 50 (EPF-50) and Jurassic Production Facility 3 (JPF-3) using uses a build-own-operate-transfer (BOOT) contract model. The contract was originally tendered in 2023, but scope changes meant that the deadline has been extended several times.

The Chinese government has issued a development plan for the country’s copper smelting industry covering the years 202527 which is looking to reduce the level of overcapacity in the sector. New copper smelters must now control sufficient copper mine supply via ownership or equity stakes to cover their production requirements, something few smelters do at present. Chinese smelter output has reached record levels, with treatment charges falling to historically low levels as producers compete for copper concentrate – China imports around 85% of its copper concentrate. Meanwhile more smelter capacity is planned, with around 1 million t/a of new capacity scheduled for 2025. The country aims to boost domestic copper mine resources by 5% to 10% in three years to secure raw material supply, according to the government plan. China will also encourage copper smelters to sign long-term purchase agreements with global miners, boost imports of copper blister and anode, and encourage scrap imports.

Maire Group says that its NextChem (Sustainable Technology Solutions) subsidiary has been awarded a three-year contract by Saudi Aramco Total Refining and Petrochemical (SATORP) – a joint venture between Saudi Aramco and TotalEnergies – to provide engineering and technology services related to the sulphur recovery complex of SATORP’s refinery in Jubail, Saudi Arabia. NextChem will provide process and engineering advisory services to enhance performance, support operational troubleshooting, and improve energy efficiency and the carbon footprint of the three units (sulphur recovery unit, amine regeneration unit and sour water stripper) which comprise the sulphur recovery complex. The services will also include recommendations for capital investment opportunities, design enhancements, and technology improvements.

Metso has launched its new Cu POX leaching process for the copper extraction industry. The company says that, as ore compositions change due to depletion of deposits and increasing environmental and efficiency demands, this solution not only maximises copper recovery but also reduces environmental impact.

Nickel Asia Corp. (NAC) says that it has completed the sale of its 15.6% stake in Coral Bay Nickel Corp. to its Japanese partner Sumitomo Metal Mining. Nickel Asia says that the sale has been due to “unfavourable market conditions” for the high pressure acid leach (HPAL) nickel processing plant. Although Coral Bay is regarded as one of the most efficient HPAL units in the world, nickel prices have been extremely volatile over the past few years and stood a 4-year lows in January at around 15,000/t, their lowest level since September 2020. Nickel Asia still owns a 10% stake in the Taganito HPAL Nickel Corp.

TotalEnergies and its partners Basra Oil Company and QatarEnergy have begun construction works at ArtawiGas25, a processing facility for the associated gas from the Ratawi field, located in the Basra region. The facility, part of the Gas Growth Integrated Project (GGIP), represents an investment of around $250 million and will process 50 million scf/d of gas which would previously have been flared. The gas will supply local power plants, covering the demand of approximately 200,000 households in the Basra region. The GGIP project is a $10 billion project designed to enhance the development of Iraq’s natural resources and improve the country’s electricity supply. It includes a large-scale gas processing plant, with a first phase of 300 million scf/d that will recover gas being flared on three oil fields and supply gas to 1.5 GW of power generation capacity.

TotalEnergies has signed agreements with Air Liquide to develop two projects in the Netherlands for the production and delivery of some 45,000 t/a of green hydrogen produced using renewable power, generated mostly by the OranjeWind offshore wind farm, developed by TotalEnergies (50%) and RWE (50%). These projects will cut CO2 emissions from TotalEnergies’ refineries in Belgium and the Netherlands by up to 450,000 t/a and contribute to the European renewable energy targets in transport.

Russian media reports suggest that a large scale Ukrainian drone strike on February 3rd attacked a number of oil and gas processing facilities, including Gazprom’s Astrakhan Gas Processing Plant. Video of the site showing fires burning were posted to social media. Astrakhan is one of the largest sulphur producing sites in Russia, with an output of around 3.5 million t/a in 2024. The Moscow Times reported that production had been shut down at the site, and would likely remain so for “several months”.