Tag: Maire

We highlight recent production advances and innovations in nitrogen fertilizer production from Casale and Stamicarbon, two global leaders in process technology.

Stefano Cicchinelli and Carmen Perez of Stamicarbon (MAIRE) explore the latest advancements in tertiary abatement technologies, their implementation in nitric acid plants, and the implications for the fertilizer industry.

OCI Global says that it has reached an agreement for the sale of 100% of its equity interests in its Clean Ammonia project currently under construction in Beaumont, Texas for $2.35 billion on a cash and debt free basis. The buyer is Australian LNG and energy company Woodside Energy Group Ltd. Woodside will pay 80% of the purchase price to OCI at closing of the transaction, with the balance payable at project completion, according to agreed terms and conditions. OCI will continue to manage the construction, commissioning and startup of the facility and will continue to direct the contractors until the project is fully staffed and operational, at which point it will hand it over to Woodside. The transaction is expected to close in H2 2024, subject to shareholder approval.

Saudi Aramco has sold another tranche of 1.54 billion shares, amounting to 0.64% of the company’s total ownership. The sale, at 27-29 riyals per share, was oversubscribed by a factor of five, making it more popular than the previous IPO, in 2019, which sold 1.5% of the company’s shares for a total of $29.4 billion. Foreign take up of shares was also higher this time, with more than half of sales to foreign investors, compared to 23% for the 2019 sale. However, it remains relatively small in scale compared to Saudi Arabia’s ambitions as part of its Vision 2030 plan to encourage more foreign direct investment and wean the country off its dependence on oil. Aramco is the world’s largest oil company in terms of both daily crude production and market cap, and remains 82% in the hands of the government and 16% held via the country’s sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund (PIF).

The pursuit of operational excellence requires continuous process monitoring, together with qualified analysis of the collected data. The Digital Process Monitor (DPM) provides a process digital twin which consists of an accurate process plant model that incorporates the licensor’s knowledge and expertise in sulphur recovery technology, thereby providing continuous insights into plant performance. This article provides an overview of the DPM features focusing on the related benefits in terms of overall operational improvements and plant efficiency for the sulphur recovery unit.

Pres-Vac Engineering's innovative high-velocity methanol valves offers shipbuilders unique options in creating more efficient and compliant dual-fuel systems.

Hanwha Corporation and INEOS Nitriles have announced their intention to collaborate in a study for a new low-carbon ammonia facility with carbon sequestration in the USA, with a capacity of more than 1 million tonnes per annum. The location of the plant is yet to be determined. The two companies have agreed heads of terms, under which Hanwha and INEOS will jointly explore the feasibility of a facility to meet the growing global demand for ammonia with low-carbon emissions. A final investment decision is planned for 2026 with planned commercial operation in 2030.

The need for immediate climate action and cuts in carbon emissions has never been more urgent, especially in a world where ecosystems are increasingly under threat. The production of green fertilizers offers a clear route to achieving these goals by decreasing the chemical industry’s reliance on fossil fuels. Stamicarbon’s Carmen Perez, Rolf Postma and Nikolay Ketov outline the company’s innovative and integrated approach to green fertilizer technology.

BASF, SABIC, and Linde have jointly inaugurated the world’s first demonstration plant for large-scale electrically heated steam cracking furnaces at BASF’s Verbund site in Ludwigshafen, following three years of development, engineering, and construction work. The three companies signed a joint agreement to develop and electrically heated steam cracking furnaces in March 2021.

More than 155 attendees, representing more than 68 companies gathered in Mumbai, India, from January 31 to February 2, 2024 for the annual SulGas® conference, organised by Three Ten Initiative Technologies LLP. We report on the key highlights of the event.