Fertilizers
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Funding cuts could delay US river lock work: Correction
Funding cuts could delay US river lock work: Correction
Corrects lock locations in paragraph 5. Houston, 14 April (Argus) — The US Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) will have to choose between various lock reconstruction and waterway projects for its annual construction plan after its funding was cut earlier this year. Last year Congress allowed the Corps to use $800mn from unspent infrastructure funds for other waterways projects. But when Congress passed a continuing resolutions for this year's budget they effectively removed that $800mn from what was a $2.6bn annual budget for lock reconstruction and waterways projects. This means a construction plan that must be sent to Congress by 14 May can only include $1.8bn in spending. No specific projects were allocated funding by Congress, allowing the Corps the final say on what projects it pursues under the new budget. River industry trade group Waterways Council said its top priority is for the Corps to provide a combined $205mn for work at the Montgomery lock in Pennsylvania on the Ohio River and Chickamauga lock in Tennessee on the Tennessee River since they are the nearest to completion and could become more expensive if further delayed. There are seven active navigation construction projects expected to take precedent, including the following: the Chickamauga and Kentucky Locks on the Tennessee River; Locks 2-4 on the Monongahela River; the Three Rivers project on the Arkansas River; the LaGrange Lock on the Illinois River; Lock 25 on the Mississippi River; and the Montgomery Lock on the Ohio River. There are three other locks in Texas, Pennsylvania and Illinois that are in the active design phase (see map) . By Meghan Yoyotte Corps active construction projects 2025 Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Pupuk Indonesia receives final standard MOP offers
Pupuk Indonesia receives final standard MOP offers
Singapore, 14 April (Argus) — State-controlled fertilizer group Pupuk Indonesia held an e-auction today for final offers, for its tender seeking 175,000t of white standard MOP and 20,000t of red standard MOP for delivery from June-September. BPC, Eurochem, Uralkali, APC and K+S offered in the range of $360-363/t cfr, while Canpotex offered at $400/t cfr. Initial offers were submitted on 8 April, ranging mainly at $362-368/t cfr with one offer at $400/t cfr. There is no confirmation from Pupuk Indonesia on these offers. The group is likely to counter-bid these offers, according to suppliers. By Huijun Yao Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Australia's Fortescue charters ammonia-fuelled ship
Australia's Fortescue charters ammonia-fuelled ship
Singapore, 14 April (Argus) — Australian metal mining company Fortescue has signed a chartering agreement with shipowner Bocimar for an ammonia-fuelled vessel. Fortescue will receive a 210,000 deadweight tonne (dwt) Newcastlemax carrier from CMB.Tech-owned Bocimar, to deliver its iron ore from the Pilbara region in Australia to China. The dual-fuel vessel is due to be delivered by end 2026, making it the second vessel operated by Fortescue using green ammonia as a marine fuel. The Fortescue Green Pioneer was the firm's first ammonia-powered vessel , which underwent its first trial at the port of Singapore in March 2024. "The days of ships operating on dirty bunker fuel, which is responsible for three per cent of global carbon emissions, are numbered," said Fortescue Metals' chief executive officer Dino Otranto. The company plans to eliminate Scope 1 and 2 emissions from its Australian iron ore operations by 2030 and Scope 3 emissions by 2040, said Otranto. A total of 25 ammonia-fuelled ships were in the order books until mid-2024, according to Norway-based classification agency DNV. This is among a total of 1,630 newbuilds using alternative marine fuels in the order books. CMB, Exmar LPG BV and [NYK] (https://direct.argusmedia.com/newsandanalysis/article/2673536) are among the shipbuilders and shipowners that have been at the forefront in building ammonia-powered technology solutions. By Mahua Mitra Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
H2 groups, environmentalists disappointed by IMO deal
H2 groups, environmentalists disappointed by IMO deal
Hamburg, 14 April (Argus) — The International Maritime Organization's (IMO) global greenhouse gas (GHG) pricing mechanism may be insufficient to stimulate short-term uptake of clean hydrogen-based marine fuels and threatens decarbonisation targets, hydrogen industry associations and environmental groups said. Delegates approved a proposed mechanism at the IMO's 83rd Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) meeting on 11 April. The proposal will be put to an adoption vote at the next MEPC in October after which the rules could enter into force in 2027. The IMO said its "net-zero framework is the first in the world to combine mandatory emissions limits and GHG pricing across an entire sector". But the agreement does not go far enough to drive extensive uptake of clean hydrogen and derivatives, such as ammonia and e-methanol, as the mechanism's design will encourage use of LNG and biofuels instead, at least in the short-term, according to industry participants and environmental bodies. "Delegates have agreed a measure that may lock in the use of environmentally destructive biofuels and LNG" instead of providing the incentives necessary "to jump start the transition" to e-fuels based on renewable hydrogen, said the Skies and Seas Hydrogen-fuels Accelerator Coalition's (Sasha) founder Aoife O'Leary. Brussels-based environmental group Transport & Environment (T&E) took a similar stance. While the IMO's agreement "creates a momentum for alternative marine fuels… it is the forest-destroying first generation biofuels that will get the biggest push for the next decade," the group's shipping director Faig Abbasov said. "Without better incentives for sustainable e-fuels from green hydrogen, it is impossible to decarbonise this heavy polluting industry." The criticism is directed primarily at the CO2 prices set under the two-tier system. The tier 2 price of $380/t of CO2 equivalent (CO2e) could encourage a shift away from diesel or other "high-emission fuels", but this would likely be to "relatively affordable biofuels" rather than "significantly cleaner alternatives such as green hydrogen-derived fuels", T&E said. Industry body the Green Hydrogen Organisation (GH2) noted that reducing the penalties to $100/t CO2e price for vessels that meet "base" targets could encourage companies using "LNG and more carbon intensive fuels" to "pay to pollute rather than comply over the next few years". The group criticised the lack of "a universal levy with a meaningful carbon price". It will be key to ensure that all emissions, including methane leakage, are comprehensively accounted for and that "direct and indirect land-use change from biofuels" is factored in, GH2 said. But despite the criticism, GH2 said the agreement "sends an important signal to green fuels producers to go forward with their projects". "The greenest fuels will be able to generate credits… which they can sell," the group said, adding that the IMO will agree "a mechanism to reward zero or near-zero emission ships by March 2027". This could drive an increase in orders for dual-fuel vessels that could eventually transition to hydrogen-based fuels, it said. Off target Some groups, including T&E, the Clean Shipping Coalition and the Global Maritime Forum, argue that the shipping industry will fail to meet emissions reduction targets with the proposed framework. The measures will "at best" provide emissions reductions of 10pc by 2030 and 60pc by 2040, far below the IMO's 2023 commitments to 30pc and 80pc, respectively, T&E said. The failure to send stronger signals for uptake of hydrogen-based fuels puts at risk a target of reaching 5pc fuel use that is zero- or near-zero emission by 2030 and the industry's entire 2050 net-zero goal, the Global Maritime Forum said. Other International shipping organisations, such as the International Chamber of Shipping and the European Community Shipowners Association, voiced support for the agreement although they acknowledged that it is "not perfect". By Stefan Krumpelmann Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
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