Producing efficient fertilizers that deliver nutrients directly to crops in exactly the right amounts has clear economic and environmental benefits. Recent advances in controlled-release and stabilised fertilizer technology are highlighted.
Saudi Aramco has confirmed a phased development approach for its $100 billion-plus Jafurah unconventional onshore gas project, which is expected to produce up to 2 billion cubic feet per day of gas by 2030, raising the company’s overall gas production capacity by 50% over that time frame. Aramco says that the first development phase for the Jafurah gas plant is likely to come on stream by 2025, and it is progressing with the phased development of a project that will reach a raw gas processing capacity of 3.1 bcf/d.
A large portion of the oil reserves of Canada and Venezuela exist as oil sands. By the mid-2000s, production from these sources had topped 5.5 million bbl/d. But with Venezuela’s economic implosion and increasing environmental scrutiny of oil sands production, what is the future for this high sulphur fuel source?
CF Fertilisers UK is to permanently close its fertilizer production site at Ince in north west England with the potential loss of 238 jobs.
Some 410 delegates from 208 companies and 45 countries participated virtually in the IFA Global Sustainability Conference, 28-31 March 2022. We report on the main highlights of this four-day event.
Copper leaching and smelting projects in Zambia and Zimbabwe continue to dominate acid production and consumption, with output expected to increase from the Kamoa-Kakula project.
The recently-published IEA Ammonia Technology Roadmap sets out a future pathway for decarbonising the nitrogen industry. New technology options for low-carbon ammonia production are emerging and project activity is on the rise.
More than 745 delegates from 335 companies and 50 countries gathered at the Hilton Downtown, Miami, Florida, 21-23 March, for the Fertilizer Latino Americano 2022 conference. The event was jointly convened by Argus and CRU.
The Woodsmith polyhalite project in the UK is starting to benefit from Anglo American’s ownership, with the mining major leveraging its key advantages to good effect. These include the company’s operational size and financial stability, its vast mineral extraction experience, and premium product marketing expertise. The company also believes that the fertilizer sector will benefit from its leadership in mining industry sustainability.
Heat recovery systems at sulphuric acid plants have been providing carbon-free energy for decades now and continue to improve. There is also potential to combine the clean power generated at acid plants with hydrogen production from water electrolysis. This could provide the basis for green fertilizer production.