Nitrogen+Syngas Index 2024

Global sulphur prices were mostly assessed flat in mid-January, with only slight changes for China, Indonesia and India, while the first quarter contracts for the Middle East, North Africa and Tampa increased from the previous quarter. Overall, the number of transactions taking place globally has declined as subdued demand has limited trading activity in most delivered markets. The current sulphur price environment has been shaped by the combination of rising Chinese demand and higher Middle East f.o.b. prices in the second half of last year. As a result, some consumer markets such as Indonesia and India have been subject to upward pressure in order to remain attractive destinations. But demand remained lacklustre across delivered markets, leaving prices relatively stable.

Sulphur and sulphuric acid marketer Aglobis has signed a memorandum of understanding with logistics services company Rhenus to develop a sulphur remelter plant at Rhenus’s Terminal 4 in the river Rhine port of Duisburg, operated by Rhenus Port Logistics Rhein-Ruhr. Aglobis says that the development is a result of changing sulphur supply in Europe. Declining production from refineries and sour gas is leading to less liquid sulphur availability and greater imports of solid sulphur from overseas.

Nickel sulphate is an intermediate step in the production of materials for batteries, and is seeing rapid demand growth as the auto industry moves towards electric power trains.

Expensive feedstock, overseas competition and tightening environmental regulations all pose potential threats to Europe’s nitrogen industry.