Section: Industry News

Morocco's OCP is bringing forward its maintenance schedule and expects a reduction of up to 30% in output for the second quarter of 2026, the company said 2 April, with some plants beginning maintenance next week.

Turkey has prohibited exports of sulphur under GTP 2503 from 7 April through the second and third quarters of 2026, according to a 6 April communication from the Ministry of Commerce. The measure does not apply to customs declarations lodged before 7 April. The restriction followed a request from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, which said sulphur prices had risen by 35-40% and that supply had tightened for fertilizer production, including AS, DAP and other compound fertilizers. The General Directorate of Exports will review any exceptional cases arising during implementation.

India is said to be considering a proposal to restrict sulphur exports after industry lobby groups raised concerns about soaring prices and disruption to supplies from the Gulf, according to local news reports. Export restrictions could add to upward pressure on global sulphur prices, as supplies from the Middle East are disrupted by the Iran war and with China also set to restrict sulphuric acid exports from next month. India exported 800,000 tonnes of sulphur in 2025.

INEOS Enterprises has agreed to sell INEOS Calabrian, its ultra-pure sulphur dioxide and derivatives business, to Ecovyst. INEOS Calabrian operates manufacturing sites in Port Neches, Texas, USA and Timmins, Ontario, Canada. Completion of the sale is expected by the end of June 2026, subject to regulatory approvals.

Australia’s federal government has selected the Murchison Green Hydrogen project in Western Australia as one of four pilot projects under its newly launched Investor Front Door initiative, a scheme designed to streamline regulatory approvals and fast-track major projects deemed to be in the national interest, the government announced 9 April. The Murchison project, which will use wind and solar energy to produce large-scale green ammonia, is intended to serve as a model for commercial-scale green hydrogen development in Australia and to generate green export opportunities to markets in Asia and Europe. Murchison, being developed by Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners’ (CIP), is expected to have a total production capacity of roughly 1.3 million t/a of green ammonia. The first phase of operations is due to begin in 2029.

CF Industries has delayed a planned multi-week maintenance turnaround at its Donaldsonville, Louisiana complex, the world’s largest ammonia production facility, in response to the supply disruption caused by the Strait of Hormuz closure, the producer announced in a press release. The company said the decision is expected to make approximately 100,000 tonnes of additional granular urea available to US customers during the spring application season. CF Industries added that it is also prioritising new sales to domestic customers over higher-priced export orders for the duration of the spring planting season.

HyOrc Corporation says that it has signed a project development and technology agreement with Bulgaria-based OnEnergy Group to develop a waste-to-methanol facility. Under the agreement, HyOrc will serve as the technology partner for Stage 3 of the project, which focuses on thermochemical conversion of refuse-derived fuel (RDF) into green methanol. The facility is designed to process approximately 50,000 t/a of RDF, operating around 330 days per year with a daily throughput of approximately 150-155 t/d. Expected methanol production capacity is approximately 38-42 t/d (13,200 t/a), subject to final engineering configuration.

SABIC Agri-Nutrients Company says that it has received approval from the Saudi Ministry of Energy to allocate feedstock required for the construction of its seventh plant in Jubail Industrial City. The new facility will produce approximately 1.2 million t/a of ammonia and 2.6 million t/a of urea, increasing the company’s urea production capacity from 4.8 million t/a to 7.4 million t/a; a 54% increase. This is expected to strengthen its position as one of the world’s largest producers and exporters of nitrogen-based nutrients, in line with its 2040 growth strategy.

Yara Australia’s Pilbara facility is expected to remain offline for around two months following a power outage at the site. The incident is understood to have damaged some systems at the facility and that repair work is now required. Initial assessments are indicating a prolonged curtailment of both ammonia and technical ammonium nitrate production.

Indian renewable energy developer InSolare Energy, in consortium with SCC Infrastructure, says that it has signed Green Ammonia Purchase Agreements (GAPA) with the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) for the supply of 85,000 t/a of green ammonia under India’s National Green Hydrogen Mission 13 April. The agreements, executed through two separate special purpose vehicles, involve a total estimated investment of around $400 million, InSolare said in a statement.