
North America’s phosphate producers
We profile the US ‘big three’ North American phosphate producers, Mosaic, Nutrien and Simplot, and disruptive market entrant Itafos.
We profile the US ‘big three’ North American phosphate producers, Mosaic, Nutrien and Simplot, and disruptive market entrant Itafos.
Applied Analytics discusses potential improvements made possible with data and analytical measurements fed into improved mathematical models to produce a more proactive approach to control and better performance of sulphur recovery units, AMETEK Process Instruments explains the benefits of feed forward control, SICK reports on reliable continuous emission monitoring systems and WIKA introduces a new purge-free system to measure refractory temperature in the Claus reaction furnace.
Fluor/GAA continue to strive to improve the performance of the D’GAASS out-of-pit liquid sulphur degassing technology based on commercial operating experience and ever-changing environmental emissions regulations. T. Chow and S. Fenderson of Fluor Energy & Chemicals/ Goar, Allison & Associates discuss operating experience that has led to the improvements of the new patent-pending third generation D’GAASS 3G technology.
China’s copper industry is facing difficulties caused by the coronavirus outbreak in the country. Prolonged factory closures, particularly in Hubei province, at the centre of the outbreak, as well as neighbouring Guangdong and Zhejiang, also badly affected, have caused a slump in demand for copper domestically as copper fabricators remain on extended closure. However, smelters have resisted cutting production. Daye Nonferrous, based in Huangshi at the centre of coronavirus outbreak, continues to operate at 80% of its 600,000 t/a capacity for 1Q 2020, according to the company, in spite of quarantine and transport restrictions which have reduced truck shipments to the smelter – Daye is reportedly still able to receive copper concentrate shipments via the Yangtze River to Huangshi port.
Kuwait is in the middle of a major overhaul and expansion of its refining capacity, as well as boosting LPG output and sour gas processing.
J. C. Bourdon, F. H. Brown and P. J. Photos of Streamline Innovations Inc. present the development and commercialisation of the Valkyrie™ process, which employs new chemistries and advanced control systems to remove H2 S from natural gas at size scales ranxging from single wells to entire fields, providing an operationally sustainable and commercially attractive alternative to standard H2 S removal technologies.
Now in its second year, SulGas 2020, South Asia’s only conference on gas treating and sulphur recovery, took place 3-4 February 2020 at the Novotel – Juhu Beach, in Juhu, Mumbai, India.
The UK’s Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has awarded £28 million ($36 million) of government funding to five demonstration projects for low carbon hydrogen production, as part of a larger stimulus package to cut industrial carbon emissions. The projects targeted for funding include:
Alistair Wallace, Head of Fertilizer Research, Argus Media, assesses price trends and the market outlook for nitrogen.
New ammonia and urea plants in Nigeria and Ethiopia are part of a wave of new capacity in Sub-Saharan Africa, and may help pull up regional demand from its current low base level.