12 Dec 2024 On 8 December, Syrian rebel forces led by Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) ousted the government of Bashar al-Assad. The now thirteen-year long civil war in the Middle Eastern nation has proven hugely disruptive to its phosphate rock production. During the 2020s exports recovered strongly amid Russian intervention and a lull […]
Continuing growth in Chinese ammonium sulphate production is leading to a continuing flood of exports, as greater awareness of the utility of sulphur as a fertilizer leads to increasing global demand.
India’s phosphate production is using increasing volumes of sulphuric acid, but new domestic smelter and sulphur burning acid capacity may mean reduced imports in future.
NextChem has been awarded two contracts to upgrade and expand the capacity of the Heydar Aliyev Oil Refinery (HAOR) industrial complex in Baku by state oil company SOCAR. As part of the contract, NextChem will conduct a technological assessment and deliver a process design package to upgrade the existing sulphur recovery unit (SRU) with oxygen enriched air, a cost-effective and flexible solution for expanding its current sulphur production capacity. Additionally, NextChem will provide the licensing and the process design package based on its proprietary NX SulphuRec TM technology for a new SRU. NX SulphuRec TM is a portfolio of proprietary sulphur recovery technologies, based on the integration of modified Claus and tail gas treatment processes, aimed at reducing the environmental impact of acid and sour gases produced during the refining process.
Global sulphur prices underwent increases in some key benchmark markets during October, but spot activity nevertheless remained muted, with demand subdued and availability tight. Market participants continue to closely track geopolitical developments.
Metso has appointed Sami Takaluoma the company’s new president and CEO, effective from November 1, 2024. Metso’s outgoing president and CEO, Pekka Vauramo , will continue with the company as per his contract until the end of 2024, to ensure a smooth transition of responsibilities. Sami Takaluoma has been with Metso since 1997 and has led Metso’s Services business area since 2021. He has been a member of Met-so’s Leadership Team since 2017.
Beyond its use in the manufacture of sulphuric acid, sulphur dioxide also has many industrial uses, especially in the food, paper, pharmaceutical and refining industries.
In spite of increasing environmental concerns over the use of coal as a feedstock, it continues to provide around one quarter of the world’s ammonia. But in a world that is decarbonising, is there still a future for coal-based capacity?
Sachin Nijhawan has been appointed as the new CEO of thyssenkrupp nucera US, and Juergen Grasinger was named Chief Operating Officer to advance the company’s international growth strategy and expand its global leadership in the manufacturing and supply of hydrogen production technology. Based out of the thyssenkrupp’s Houston office, Nijhawan will be responsible for the business activities of the US operations.
In recent years, extensive and severe internal attack has been observed of carbon steel equipment and lines in aqua ammonia service at several Yara manufacturing sites across the globe. In all cases, the damage has a distinct flow-accelerated corrosion (FAC) signature which challenges the current understanding of FAC. All features typically observed for this kind of damage mechanism, that seem to be specific to the NH3 recovery section of ammonia plant, are reported. Upgrading the material of construction for this unit, will solve this failure mode, but a leak would potentially generate health and safety problem for the release of ammonia.