Germany's Aurubis copper smelter back from maintenance
Germany's Aurubis today announced that its Hamburg copper smelter returned to service on 11 July from the largest maintenance shutdown in the company's history that began 7 May.
A restart is now under way following the €95mn 60-day maintenance that included an overhaul of the flash smelter, installation of heat exchangers in the contact acid plant, as well as the installation of a tap hold drill and tamping machine for improved safety of copper slag tapping. Hydrogen-ready anode furnaces were also installed as measures to improve sustainability.
Investments in automation are set to improve efficiency and extend the frequency of planned maintenance rounds to three years from two.
The Hamburg smelter's outage has exacerbated sulphuric acid tightness in Europe, and the operational restart is expected to provide some relief to the market. This comes in addition to the lack of availability of molten sulphur in the region, leading to shortages of sulphur burnt acid, which has prompted some consumers to replace burnt acid with smelter acid, lifting demand.
Aurubis produced 1.19mn t of sulphuric acid during the first six months of the 2023-24 financial year (October-March), up by 1pc on the same period a year earlier. Output at Aurubis' Hamburg smelter rose by 11pc to 512,000t in the period, while output from the Pirdop smelter saw a 6pc decline on the period to 679,000t.
For the first three months of the year, Aurubis produced 598,000t of acid, unchanged from the same quarter of 2022-23, as increased output at its Hamburg smelter offset a decline from Bulgaria's Pirdop plant. Production at Hamburg totalled 258,000t from January-March.
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Pakistan urea demand drops on lower wheat prices: NFDC
Pakistan urea demand drops on lower wheat prices: NFDC
Amsterdam, 15 July (Argus) — Urea consumption in Pakistan fell to 483,000t in June, down by 21pc on a year earlier, with the country's National Fertilizer Development Centre (NFDC) attributing the drop to lower wheat prices and delayed sowing in the summer months. June output fell to 483,000t from 610,000t in the month last year and 737,000t in June 2022. Urea consumption in April-June was down by 18pc at 1.21mn t. The NFDC attributed the fall to lower wheat prices and the delayed sowing of crops in the summer Kharif season, which runs from April-September. But the NFDC did note that urea offtake may pick up in the rest of the season. The dire situation facing farmers has prompted Pakistan's government to impose an indefinite ban on wheat imports into the country, as of 12 July , in a bid to stabilise domestic wheat prices. This may subsequently encourage local urea purchases. The lacklustre consumption so far this Kharif season has eased pressure on urea supplies, with countrywide stocks unexpectedly climbing slightly through one of the peak-demand months of the summer season, up by 6,000t to 231,000t. Domestic production of 497,000t also added some support to inventories last month, but this was down from 548,000t in June last year. Pakistan's state-owned importer TCP has issued a tender to buy 150,000t of urea, closing on 29 July, which will add further support in August-September when cargoes are set to arrive. But the country is still facing a potential tightness of urea supply in July-August, should consumption levels pick-up soon and the import cargoes ship from origins with a long sailing time. The NFDC is projecting consumption of 750,000t and 615,000t in July and August, respectively, which may leave stocks as low as 29,000t by August, without factoring in imports. The cargoes must arrive in Pakistan by 25 September, TCP's tender document stipulated. By Harry Minihan Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Vietnam’s Vinfast cuts EV sales goal, delays US plant
Vietnam’s Vinfast cuts EV sales goal, delays US plant
Singapore, 15 July (Argus) — Vietnam-based electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer Vinfast Auto has lowered its 2024 EV delivery goal and delayed its North Carolina EV plant's first production by three years, because of economic headwinds. "We have adopted a more prudent outlook that is carefully calibrated to near-term headwinds, taking into full consideration the realities of market volatility and potential challenges," said the chairwoman of Vinfast's board of directors Le Thi Thu Thuy on 12 June. Vinfast now expects to deliver 80,000 EVs in 2024, down from the 100,000 units it set earlier this year and having missed its delivery goal of 40,000-50,000 last year. Vinfast delivered 21,747 EVs in January-June, almost doubling on the year, according to the company. Its EV sales over April-June stood at 12,058 units, up by 24pc on the quarter and 26pc on the year. It started building a $2bn EV factory in US North Carolina's Chatham county last year, with output scheduled to begin in 2025 . But the firm has now made the "strategic decision" to push it back to 2028, Vinfast said. VinFast earlier this year said that it would invest $2bn in south India's Tamil Nadu state to develop its EV sector, including building an EV plant that can produce 150,000 units/yr. The plant will be "opened" in the first half of 2025, said Vingroup's chairman Pham Nhat Vuong last month, adding that India will be Vinfast's biggest Asia market. The global battery and EV sectors have been facing various economic and geopolitical headwinds. This includes persistently elevated interest rates that are curbing consumer spending, and rising geopolitical market barriers starting with the US and EU's tariffs on Chinese EVs, as well as Canada looking into potential punitive duties on Chinese EVs. By Joseph Ho Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
India's IPL issues urea counterbids: Update
India's IPL issues urea counterbids: Update
Adds latest on counterbid recipients Amsterdam, 12 July (Argus) — Indian fertilizer importer and supplier IPL has sent counterbids to all suppliers at $365/t cfr east coast under its 8 July tender. IPL has secured 80,000t for the west coast under two previous bid rounds at $350.50/t cfr. This latest counterbid validity is until 11:00 IST (05:30 GMT) on 13 July. The importer initially sent counterbids to the suppliers with the seven-lowest priced offers to the east coast earlier today, for a potential total of 480,000t, but has now sent the counters to all potential suppliers under the tender. This round of counters for the east coast follows two rounds for the west earlier in the week. The first round was on 10 July and received no acceptances, while the second was on 11 July and resulted in a trading firm agreeing to supply just a further 30,000t at $350.50/t cfr west coast. The east coast counters may tempt more acceptances given the $15/t premium over the west coast price. Trading firm Liven offered the lowest for 50,000t at $350.50/t cfr west coast, while the lowest offer on the east coast was 100,000t from OQ Trading at $365/t cfr east coast. The lowest offers to both coasts will be confirmed sales in line with tender rules. By Harry Minihan Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
India's IPL issues urea counterbids for east coast
India's IPL issues urea counterbids for east coast
Amsterdam, 12 July (Argus) — Indian fertilizer importer and supplier IPL has sent counterbids to seven suppliers with the lowest-priced offers to the east coast under its 8 July tender, to possibly buy up to 480,000t at $365/t cfr. IPL has secured 80,000t for the west coast under two previous bid rounds at $350.50/t cfr west coast. This latest counterbid validity is until 11:00 IST (05:30 GMT) on 13 July. The seven-lowest priced offers to the east coast totalled 480,000t, of which the initial lowest-priced offer of 100,000t will be accepted automatically under tender rules. This round of counters for the east coast follows two rounds for the west earlier in the week. The first round was on 10 July and received no acceptances, while the second was on 11 July and resulted in a trading firm agreeing to supply just a further 30,000t at $350.50/t cfr west coast. The east coast counters may tempt more acceptances given the $15/t premium over the west coast price. Trading firm Liven offered the lowest for 50,000t at $350.50/t cfr west coast, while the lowest offer on the east coast was 100,000t from OQ Trading at $365/t cfr east coast. The lowest offers to both coasts will be confirmed sales in line with tender rules. By Harry Minihan Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
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