Sustainable and specialty fertilizers
Overview
The importance of sustainable and specialty fertilizer markets has grown as producers diversify their product ranges and end users seek more efficient fertilizer compositions. These developments have been further impacted by the drive towards sustainability, which has accelerated interest in these markets.
Argus market experts have many years of experience in these sectors, incorporating price reporting, cost calculations, fundamentals analysis and forecasting.
We support the industry by bringing understanding and clarity to clients through:
- Newly launched Argus Sustainable and Specialty Fertilizers price reporting service
- Annual Argus Water-Soluble Fertilizer Strategy Report
- Bespoke consulting project support
Latest sustainable and specialty fertilizers news
Browse the latest market moving news on the global sustainable and specialty fertilizers markets
Bangladesh receives DAP, TSP offers in tender
Bangladesh receives DAP, TSP offers in tender
London, 27 November (Argus) — Bangladesh's ministry of agriculture received offers for 60,000t of DAP at $685.30-691/t cfr and 115,000t of TSP at $567.80-600/t cfr in its latest private-sector tender, which closed today. The ministry received two offers for DAP: Bulk Trade International offered 30,000t at $685.30/t cfr Saifullah Gulf offered 30,000t at $691/t cfr The ministry also received six offers for TSP: Bulk Trade International offered 25,000t at $567.80/t cfr Mounota Trade Index offered 20,000t at $573.50/t cfr Noapara Traders offered 30,000t at $573.50/t cfr Saifullah Gulf offered 26,000t at $574/t cfr Alif Trading offered 4,000t at $574/t cfr Noapara Trading offered 10,000t at $600/t cfr Argus understands that much of the product offered in the tender will be shipped from Morocco. There were reports that one of the DAP cargoes offered will be shipped from China. The lowest offers in this latest tender are up compared with those under the ministry's 18 November private-sector tender , which received offers for 120,000t of DAP at $678.40-717/t cfr and 113,000t of TSP at $561.90-585/t cfr. The ministry likely awarded 40,000t of Moroccan DAP to Bulk Trade International at the offered level of $678.40/t cfr, with negotiations ongoing for further cargoes, under the 18 November tender. By Tom Hampson Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Roof collapse halts MOP output at Mosaic facility
Roof collapse halts MOP output at Mosaic facility
Houston, 25 November (Argus) — Mosaic halted MOP production at its Colonsay processing facility in Saskatchewan, Canada, after the roof collapsed early last week. The processing facility is part of Mosaic's larger Colonsay mine site, which has capacity to produce 1.5mn metric tonnes (t) of potash annually. But the mine only produced 600,000t in 2023. Mosaic said it did not anticipate impacts to its overall fourth quarter sales. No time line was given on when production will come back online. Mosaic is still investigating what caused the collapse. There were no negative impacts to potash reserves or personnel, according to the company. In the third quarter, Colonsay's production was reduced because of electrical issues at the mine. By Meghan Yoyotte Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Genesis hires designer for Sask. low-carbon NH3 plant
Genesis hires designer for Sask. low-carbon NH3 plant
Houston, 25 November (Argus) — Fertilizer start-up Genesis Fertilizers has reached a front-end engineering design agreement with DL Engineering & Constructions (DL E&C) for Canada's first proposed low-carbon nitrogen fertilizer facility. Genesis and the South Korean firm aim to start work in December on the Belle Plaine, Saskatchewan, project. Carbonco will be the carbon capture technology provider and Whitecap Resources will assist with other carbon sequestration. Genesis expects to begin commercial operations by 2029 and produce about 1.1mn metric tonnes/yr of nitrogen fertilizers, including urea and ammonium sulfate, as well as diesel exhaust fluid. The company originally planned for a 700,000 t/yr plant but increased capacity because of rising demand of low-carbon products. Genesis aims to be a farmer-owned plant and distribute nearly 75pc of its volume via offtake agreements, selling the rest in the spot market. Once complete, the plant will decrease Canada's reliance on imported nitrogen fertilizer and shrink freight costs across the supply chain, Genesis said. DL E&C is involved in other fertilizer projects including Ma'aden's Ammonia II and III projects in Saudi Arabia as well as the Golden Triangle Polymers Project in Texas. By Meghan Yoyotte Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Clean NH3 integration needs CoC methods: Hinicio
Clean NH3 integration needs CoC methods: Hinicio
London, 25 November (Argus) — Some ammonia producers are implementing their own chain of custody (CoC) approaches in order to incorporate upcoming reduced carbon tonnes into existing ammonia supply chains, ahead of unified regulation, certification or wide-scale clean ammonia availability. But approaches will vary, depending on whether producers are targeting regulatory or voluntary markets, Belgian-headquartered consulting firm Hinicio told Argus ahead of the Clean Ammonia Europe Conference in Rotterdam this month. Hinicio is consulting on three different ammonia certification schemes currently under development. The schemes are being developed in partnership with Fertilizers Europe, the Fertilizer Institute in the US and the Ammonia Energy Association, which is developing a global scheme. The schemes have a mix of both mass balance or book and claim CoC methods, as producers and buyers seek to optimise on cost and carbon intensity (CI) when clean ammonia tonnes become available. Clean ammonia includes renewable ammonia produced with electrolysis and renewable electricity, or ammonia produced with a natural gas feedstock that uses carbon capture and storage (CCS) to reduce carbon emissions. The mass balance approach is well established in other values chains and has been set forth by the EU as the regulatory standard in the Renewable Energy Directive, FuelEU Maritime and the Gas Directive. And the CoC method has already been adopted by ammonia producers such as Yara and OCI. In a mass balance approach, the ratio of sustainable material incorporated into the value chain is tracked and reflected in the products produced and sold to customers. Physical trade flow is accounted for and a defined time (reconciliation) period is assigned. "When talking about chain of custody, the European regulation really dictates to use mass balance for everything you want to call RFNBO or low-carbon in Europe, or for anything that you want to bring to Europe," Hinicio manager Thomas Winkel said. But a ‘book-and-claim' system grants significantly more flexibility for economic operators that are looking to trade in voluntary markets — where companies buying reduced carbon ammonia are looking to reduce scope 3 emissions or EU ETS obligations. Book and claim allows for physical flow of a product to be completely decoupled from attributes like CI. Characteristics are ‘booked' into a central registry to be ‘claimed' by consumers, without a connection to the physical material, like renewable electricity certificates. "The voluntary market is going towards a combination of mass balance and book and claim," Winkel said. Elements of book and claim can be employed if required, within geographic or other constrictions. But Europe's stance on CoC could force companies to employ mass balancing. "I think many players around the world are looking at Europe as their main export market and they are starting to understand their criteria well," Winkel said. Europe currently accounts for around one-fifth of global ammonia imports, or around 4mn-5mn t/yr, according to Argus line-up data. And at least a quarter of the 40-plus offtake agreements Argus is tracking from clean ammonia projects are likely to supply the European market. Renewable ammonia projects in India and Canada have received pre-certification of RFNBO compliance from certification body Certifhy, with European offtakers already lined up. Under currently announced agreements alone, at least 500,000t of renewable ammonia will be shipping to Europe from 2027, pending project delivery, with the potential for a substantial scale-up in volume as the decade draws to a close. That is excluding large-scale ammonia projects with CCS that are scheduled for start-up in the US in 2025-26 and are also eyeing the European market for export opportunities. "Mass balance is the standard — the schemes that are being developed that are for voluntary purposes allow a bit more flexibility otherwise," Winkle said. For most jurisdictions, the regulatory playbook is still being written. Australia, Japan, South Korea, the US and the UK are still developing regulations surrounding low-carbon fuels. But in the meantime, fledgling supply agreements for voluntary markets may opt for book and claim where possible. But regulatory markets in Europe have declared mass balance as the standard. The development of regulatory and certification schemes in other regions will determine global standards moving forward. By Lizzy Lancaster Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Spotlight content
Browse the latest thought leadership produced by our global team of experts.
Explore our related products
Region and country focused market intelligence
Events
Argus Clean Ammonia India, Middle East & Africa Conference
Argus Clean Ammonia India, Middle East & Africa Conference
Argus Fertilizer Africa Conference
Argus Fertilizer Africa Conference
Argus Agriculture & Feedstocks Conference
Argus Agriculture & Feedstocks Conference
