Latin America, a regional powerhouse
Latin America has confirmed its status as a pre-eminent global marketplace for fertilizers. We report on demand growth and fertilizer supply and capacity developments within this diverse region.
Latin America has confirmed its status as a pre-eminent global marketplace for fertilizers. We report on demand growth and fertilizer supply and capacity developments within this diverse region.
Johnson Matthey and KBR have announced that they have signed a global strategic alliance agreement to license a new ammonia-methanol co-production process that combines the companies’ ammonia and methanol process technologies. The companies say that the co-production process makes the most of synergies between the two technologies, maximising savings while offering the highest levels of safety, flexibility and reliability.
A few years ago DME production from methanol gave a major boost to world methanol demand, with DME being used as a blendstock for LPG. However, demand plateaued and DME has not had the takeoff that its proponents feel it should have. Could new renewable DME processes give it the boost it needs?
“There can be no life without soil, and no soil without life.” An insightful quote from Charles Kellogg, the renowned former chief of USDA’s soils bureau.
The global market for potassium sulphate is on the rise. It has become the preferred potassium fertilizer for many chloride-sensitive, high-value cash crops. This speciality potash product also commands a price premium.
Recent protests in Belarus have triggered a wave of share price volatility, London’s Financial Times reported on 18th August.
The last three years has seen a renaissance in fertilizer production and blending in sub-Saharan Africa. We highlight the expansion of capacity in Nigeria and other countries within the region.
Germany’s K+S is the world’s fifth-largest and Western Europe’s largest producer of potash products. The company manufactures a range of potassium sulphate (SOP) and SOP-based products at three production sites in Germany (Wintershall, Hattorf and Bergmannssegen-Hugo). These include KALISOP® , its granular SOP product range, and speciality products such as Patentkali® .
Enhanced efficiency fertilizers (EEFs) occupy a small but high-value segment of the overall fertilizer market, although their production and use is accelerating. This trend is unsurprising given that their higher costs are usually more than offset by better efficiency and lower application rates.
Sophisticated control of phosphates production is now possible thanks to the availability of real-time process analysers. We assess the range of technologies currently on the market and their key advantages.