Fertilizer International 512 Jan-Feb 2023
31 January 2023
Phosphates project listing 2023
PROJECT LISTING
Phosphates project listing 2023
Fertilizer International presents a global round-up of phosphate rock, phosphoric acid and finished phosphates projects.
Phosphate rock*
*Excluding China. Standalone, non-integrated projects only. At present, there are tens of junior phosphate mining projects globally. However, only capacity developments with a published feasibility study are listed here. In general, these projects have yet to secure the necessary finance and, consequently, none have committed to a firm construction schedule and start-up date currently. Africa, Australia and Canada are undoubtedly the locations with the most potential for virgin phosphate rock projects – although large uncertainties over individual projects and their timescales remain. OCP Group is, however, pressing on with ambitious plans to increase phosphate rock capacity at Khouribga and Meskala in Morocco. Major expansions in phosphate rock capacity are also expected out to 2026 from established phosphate producers in Russia and Kazakhstan (Acron, EuroChem, PhosAgro), Brazil (EuroChem, Itafos) and Mexico (Fertinal). This extra supply will be largely consumed in integrated, downstream operations. Kropz’s Elandsfontein one million tonne capacity, export-oriented project in South Africa is currently in the commissioning phase. In Australia, Centrex plans to ramp up monthly phosphate rock production at its flagship Ardmore project in Queensland from 10,000 tonnes currently to 30,000 tonnes this year. EuroChem recently began shipping phosphate rock concentrate to its European production units from its Serra do Salitre project in Brazil.
Phosphate fertilizer, phosphoric acid and integrated phosphate rock projects**
KEY FOR BOTH TABLES
FS Feasibility study complete
PL Planned
UC Under construction
C Project completed
n.a. Not available
DAP Diammonium phosphate
DCP Dicalcium phosphate
MAP Monoammonium phosphate
PPA Purified phosphoric acid
SSP Single superphosphate
TSP Triple superphosphate
**Excluding China. The International Fertilizer Association (IFA) expects investments by OCP Group to collectively add 2.9 million t/a to Morocco’s finished phosphates capacity out to 2023. In Egypt, WAPHCO is currently constructing a major phosphate production complex at Abu Tartur. EuroChem is also pressing ahead with the development of its one million tonne capacity Serra do Salitre project in Brazil, which it bought from Yara last year. The third phosphates mega project announced by Ma’aden and its partners could eventually ramp-up Saudi Arabia’s phosphates production capacity by a further 3.3 million t/a.
PROJECT TECHNOLOGY AND ENGINEERING PROVIDERS
Profile
When will the pendulum shift?
Paul-Henri Legros, general manager, Profile, a division of Prayon s.a. provides a personal update on latest phosphate industry developments: “It would be a lie to say that 2022 was a good year for the deployment of new production facilities and the development of new projects in the P2 O5 industry. The unpredictable events in Eastern Europe in early 2022 have created turmoil in the fertilizer industry – and as a result we’ve seen prices for raw materials and utilities, such as oil, gas and electricity, rocket to levels never seen before.
“As a consequence, investors put their projects on hold and had second thoughts about the way to proceed. Yet now that prices are settling down to more acceptable levels, we’re seeing these same investors coming back with their projects, finally thinking that we’ve all lost one year.”
“Because of high P2 O5 product prices, and demand from a growing world population looking for more and higher quality food, we’re seeing a lot of high capacity projects being activated – or should I say re-activated. If all the projects Prayon-Profile are dealing with right now transform into firm construction orders then production worldwide would jump by around 10,000 tonnes P2 O5 per day.”
“That is, of course, a nice position to be in – for Profile and the engineering and the manufacturing world surrounding the P2 O5 industry – and I strongly believe it will ensure a bright future for the next 4-5 years potentially. But then what?”
“Well, we all know there’s a need to think green and sustainability, protect nature, and shift to renewable energy sources in the very near future. 2030 is very close now and playing the ostrich by burying our heads in the sand is not an option.”
“I strongly believe that these important matters, that will decide our mutual future, must be taken care of by industry professionals – it is time to let engineering define the practical way forward. I am deeply convinced that the technological solutions exist, or will soon exist, and globally we need to anticipate this pendulum shift.”
“At Prayon-Profile, we express this succinctly in our vision statement : “Our technology will make the difference.” We need to anticipate the future – not just to feel good about the planet’s protection – but to ensure our survival, the survival of our partners, the survival of our customers, and the general survival of fertilizer production worldwide.”
“Let’s remember that fertilizers feed the world and we must be aware of that responsibility in our decision-making and actions.”
“Profile, and all P2 O5 engineering companies in general, are thinking about ways to improve their equipment. This is necessary to save energy, save on costly raw materials and to reimagine machinery where spare parts are more than just waste.”
“Profile’s decision to switch to 3D models for all of its design work really holds the key to these new developments and ideas. Yes, Prayon’s widely installed tilting pan filter will remain a successful tilting pan filter – it will just get a lot more ‘green’ in the upcoming decade.
“Prayon-Profile’s unique position, as a phosphates producer, technology-provider and an equipment supplier for other producers, gives us a clear market edge as it provides us with a life-size laboratory to design and test the future of this industry.
“Although challenging, I am convinced that there is an exciting ‘green’ future for our industry. On sustainability, the pendulum is moving in our direction fast now – so we need to be ready when it arrives.”
Desmet Ballestra
Milan-headquartered Desmet Ballestra SpA has extensive experience in the design and supply of chemical plants.
For the fertilizer industry, the engineering company offers production plants for sulphuric acid, merchant-grade and purified phosphoric acid (MGA and PPA), single superphosphate (SSP), triple superphosphate (TSP), potassium sulphate and granulated NPK compound fertilizers.
From initial design through to plant start-up, Desmet Ballestra offers support to clients during all of the following project phases:
- Feasibility studies
- Material supply
- Process design
- Project implementation
- Detailed engineering
- Plant start-up the phases.
Desmet Ballestra phosphoric acid plants are highly flexible. The design of each plant is bespoke, being specifically tailored to individual client needs. To maximise process efficiency, for example, plants are customised to accommodate different types of phosphate rock.
Under a long-standing agreement with technology licensor Prayon, the company offers phosphoric acid plants based on the following processes:
- DH : Di-Hydrate (single crystallization)
- HH: Hemi-Hydrate (single crystallization)
- CPP: Central Prayon Process (double crystallization DH-HH)
- HDH: Hemi-hydrate to Di-Hydrate (double crystallization HH-DH)
- DA-HF: Di-hydrate attack, Hemi-Hydrate filtration (double crystallization DH-HH).
These versatile, well-proven and market-leading processes are widely employed in many phosphoric acid projects around the globe. The most suitable process is selected based on a range of factors, such as rock quality, performance parameters and production economics. All the above processes enable the production of 52-54 percent concentration phosphoric acid, an intermediate in the manufacture of phosphate fertilizers.
Plants can also be configured to allow the recovery of fluosilicic acid (FSA). This is obtained as a process by-product – in concentrations up to 18 percent – and can be sold to market, or converted into valuable anhydrous hydrofluoric acid (AHF) or AlF3 under a technology collaboration with Buss ChemTech. Alternatively, it can be neutralised for disposal.
Desmet Ballestra has offered a phosphoric acid purification option as part of its chemicals technology portfolio since 2015. The purification process involves a sequence of steps to remove impurities – typically arsenic, gypsum, heavy metals, fluorine and chlorine – and achieve the target quality at the required yield.
Desmet Ballestra is also an established supplier of SSP and TSP powder plants. These have been developed through a technology partnership with Italy’s Industrie Chimiche Puccioni and incorporate proprietary Kuhlman-Den or Broadfield-Den type reactors. These production processes involve reacting phosphate rock with either sulphuric or phosphoric acid, respectively, to generate SSP or TSP.
Granulation plants for SSP/TSP, DAP/MAP and NPK are also available, based on in-house or Incro pipe-reactor technology. The company also offers plants for water-soluble MAP/DAP production via a strategic partnership with leading technology provider GEA.
De Smet Agro
De Smet Agro (DSAG) has been providing project management, engineering, procurement and construction management services to the fertilizer industry for more than 65 years. The company, a division of De Smet Engineers & Contractors, is based near Brussels, Belgium, with satellite offices in France, Morocco, Argentina and India.
DSAG has strong and globally recognised expertise in the engineering and construction of fertilizer complexes, working in collaboration with multiple partners and different technology licensors. This has enabled the company to deliver more than 250 industrial plants in 35 countries since 1957 – including numerous sulphuric, phosphoric acid and fertilizer granulation plants.
The multi-disciplinary team at DSAG offers engineering services for new ‘greenfield’ plants. The company also offers revamping and capacity improvement projects at existing production sites.
DSAG is recognised worldwide as the most experienced and wide-ranging licensee for Prayon Technologies (PRT), offering all of the company’s industry-leading phosphoric acid production routes, and its processes for phosphoric acid derivatives and by-products. This longstanding cooperation with PRT, which dates from 1960, has delivered many notable project achievements globally.
DSAG has full in-house expertise for all the engineering, procurement and construction supervisions steps needed to deliver phosphoric acid projects. (Prayon’s process design package being the starting point for these activities.) The company’s project capabilities cover the complete production process, from raw materials to the handling and storage of the final product. DSAG possesses in-depth expertise for:
- Single and double crystallisation phosphoric acid processes
- Phosphoric acid purification technologies (solvent and membranes)
- Phosphate salt technologies, including those for food phosphates, and new processes such as those for soluble fertilizers
- Dicalcium phosphate (DCP) processes (HCl- or H2 SO4 -based) including a phosphoric acid production process based on DCP
- Fluorine gas scrubbing
- Phosphoric acid concentration and fluosilicic acid recovery
- Acidic cooling tower design
- Gypsum storage and valorisation.
Additionally, DSAG offers fully proven in-house technologies for nitrogen fertilizer production. The company’s nitrogen process design expertise covers synthesis, evaporation, crystallisation, prilling and granulation units for clients all over the world. Specific areas of expertise include:
- In-house fluidised drum granulation technology for ammonium nitrate products (AN/CAN/ASN) and calcium nitrate (CN)
- Prilling of low density ammonium nitrate (LDAN).
DSAG also offers a comprehensive range of construction services for fertilizer granulation. These services covering the construction of granulation units for:
- Ammonium sulphate (AS)
- Monoammonium phosphate (MAP)
- Diammonium phosphate (DAP l NPKs more generally.
The company’s granulation expertise also includes the design of gaseous effluent cleaning systems.
To meet client or project needs, DSAG has the capability to team up with other recognised fertilizer technology providers/ contractors, thanks to strong relationships built over decades. This provides industry customers with a single point of contact with complete responsibility for the delivery of their fertilizer projects.
DSAG provides a complete range of services to fertilizer industry clients all around the world. These range from technical audits to the full delivery of EP and EPCM contracts and typically include:
- Technical audits
- Prefeasibility, feasibility studies, front end engineering design (FEED), capex and opex estimates, including all on-site and off-site facilities
- Financial studies
- Overall project management
- Basic and detailed engineering design
- Procurement
- Construction management and site supervision
- Training of client personnel
- Start-up assistance and performance guarantee tests
Client: Verdant Minerals Ltd
Location: Northern Territory, Australia Project: Ammaroo phosphate
project: di-hydrate (DH) phosphoric acid definitive feasibility study (DFS)
In 2022, DSAG completed a definitive feasibility study (DFS) with an AACE Class 2 capex estimate for Verdant Minerals, the developer of the Ammaroo project. This study examined the technical and economic feasibility of producing fertilizer-grade phosphoric acid from phosphate rock using Prayon’s dihydrate (DH) process for subsequent MAP/DAP production. The proposed phosphoric acid plant had a design capacity of 1,580 t/d (P2 O5 ).
Prayon Technologies (PRT)
Prayon Technologies (PRT), the licensing division of Prayon, is internationally renowned for its phosphate production technologies. Currently, plants fitted with Prayon technology are responsible for one third of worldwide phosphoric acid production. Prayon’s notable achievements include more than:
- 130 references in over 30 countries
- 20 production processes
- 65 validated phosphate rock types.
Experts at PRT dedicate themselves to designing easily operable and highly reliable phosphoric acid plants. This expertise comes from the company’s know-how and its track record with production plants gained during more than 70 years of experience. Prayon incorporates the very latest process developments into its plant designs to benefit all of the phosphoric acid producers the company works with.
PRT offers the widest range of technologies for phosphoric acid production. Each of the company’s five processes has its own characteristics. This allows Prayon to offer its partners successful tailor-made production options. The ability to deliver operationally-successful phosphoric acid plants is reinforced by incorporating premium-quality equipment specifically designed by Profile, the process filtration and liquid equipment division of Prayon.
Alongside the traditional route for producing feed phosphates from high-grade phosphoric acid, Prayon now offers two cutting-edge technologies that can use low-grade phosphate rock as a starting material. These innovative processes can significantly reduce production costs while generating feed phosphates of the same grade.
Prayon is aware that technological innovation will be vital for improving production processes to meet the needs of future generations. This includes developing technologies that are able to capture and use recycled raw materials. These will allow the phosphate industry to convert waste into valuable products while at the same time increasing the size of available phosphate resources.
PRT works closely with phosphoric acid producers to ensure they meet local environmental regulations. Reliable Profile-designed equipment, such as gas scrubbers and towers, enable businesses to reach high performance levels with close to zero emissions. The liquid bleed from these systems is either cleverly recycled into the process or concentrated to generate valuable co-products. Technologies are available to selectively remove deleterious and unwanted impurities (As, Cd, F, SO4, Mg. etc.) The PUMA process, which uses membrane technology, can also be applied when a larger purification step is required.
Our in-depth process knowledge and understanding is the key to getting the best from a phosphoric acid plant. Prayon, through its wide range of services, always accompanies the owner at each and every stage of their project – starting by providing a tailor-made plant design all the way through to offering consultancy services during plant operations. The company’s expertise encompasses:
- Lab to semi-industrial scale testing and validation
- Plant simulation training
- Technical surveys
- Achieving operational excellence through data management and plant optimisation.
