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Spain's Moeve joins FMC with net zero bunkers pledge

  • : Biofuels, Fertilizers
  • 25/01/21

Spain-based integrated energy company Moeve, formerly Cepsa, has joined the First Movers Coalition — a group of large private-sector companies aiming to decarbonise hard-to-abate industries such as steel, aluminium and shipping — with a new target to increase the use of emission-free marine fuels in its own fleet.

Moeve — Spain's largest supplier of conventional marine fuels — has pledged that at least 5pc of its deep-sea shipping fleet will run on emission-free marine fuels by 2030 as it expands capacity in low and zero emission bunkers.

The company is developing a 300,000 t/yr e-methanol production facility with Danish shipping firm Maersk's affiliate C2X at its 220,000 b/d refinery in Huelva, Southern Spain. Maersk is also part of the First Movers Coalition.

Moeve also plans to bring online a 750,000 t/yr green ammonia plant at its 244,000 b/d Algeciras refinery in 2027 as part of its plant to build 2GW of hydrogen electrolysis in southern Spain by 2030.

Moeve joins other Spanish companies including power utility Iberdrola and steelmaker Egui in the First Movers Coalition.

The First Movers Coalition was launched at the UN Cop 26 climate summit in Glasgow in November 2021. It is focussed on addressing sectors such as shipping, steel making and aviation, where emissions are hard to abate. These industries are responsible for around 30pc of global emissions, according to the coalition.


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25/03/04

Morocco’s sulacid imports hit three-year highs in 2024

Morocco’s sulacid imports hit three-year highs in 2024

London, 4 March (Argus) — Morocco's sulphuric acid imports reached 2.01mn t in 2024, at a three-year high, as two new sulphur burners that came on line at OCP's Jorf Lasfar hub in 2024 supported sulphuric acid intake, customs data showed. The rise in sulphuric acid imports also reflects firm demand for processed phosphate fertilizers from key end-users, which has resulted in strong demand for raw materials such as sulphuric acid. Nearly 50pc of the acid which arrived in Morocco was supplied by China and countries in the Mediterranean/Black Sea region, with the latter shipping record sulphuric acid volumes to Morocco. China shipped 424,000t of acid in 2024, largely unchanged on 2023, but nearly half the volume delivered when compared with 2021 and 2022. Italian deliveries to Morocco rose to a record high of 264,000t, compared with 19,000t in 2023, with some of the volumes understood to be secured under a long term supply contract. Bulgaria supplied 227,000t of acid in 2024, from 19,000t last year, while Turkey shipped 207,400t of acid, up from 37,000t last year. Spanish acid deliveries came to 198,000t in 2024, the highest level shipped since 2021, prior to when OCP paused sulphuric acid buying. Northwest European countries shipped around 430,000t acid in 2024, more than double the volumes delivered on the prior year. Sulphuric acid intake in 2025 is expected to decline on the year — with import estimates ranging from 1-1.1mn t — as the latest sulphur burner commissioned by OCP ramps up in capacity, thus favouring sulphur intake instead. By Lili Minton Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

St Louis harbor water levels to improve


25/03/04
25/03/04

St Louis harbor water levels to improve

Houston, 4 March (Argus) — Water levels at the St Louis, Missouri, harbor are forecast to rise above 0ft this week, the National Weather Service (NWS) said, allowing for easier barge transit at the harbor after weeks of low water concerns. St Louis is forecast to receive multiple rounds of showers and thunderstorms today, including some hail, with around 1 inch of precipitation expected to pour over the greater St Louis area, according to the NWS. As water from the tributaries reaches the harbor into this weekend, levels as high as 10.7ft are expected by 11 March. This rain is long awaited as the St Louis harbor has been grappling with low water conditions since early January. These conditions were exacerbated by minimal rainfall in February, causing water levels to fall below -3ft at the terminal. Some barge carriers will finally be able to resume loading at their docks after calling off all barge movement due to the low water. Draft restrictions are anticipated to slowly loosen in the coming days as water levels rise, and more weight can be placed on barges. Current draft restrictions are between 9.6-10ft at St Louis. By Meghan Yoyotte Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

US tariff on Canadian potash imports goes ahead


25/03/04
25/03/04

US tariff on Canadian potash imports goes ahead

London, 4 March (Argus) — US tariffs on Canadian imports, including a 25pc tariff on potash, have come into effect today after most market participants expected it to either be further delayed or for an exemption on potash imports. US president Donald Trump signed executive orders on 1 February to impose a 25pc levy on all US imports from Canada from 4 February, although energy imports will have a lower 10pc tariff. This was subsequently postponed to 4 March. Plans for the tariffs were announced in November, when Trump won the US presidential election, but most market participants did not expect them to be implemented, or expected that potash could be exempt, given that the US relies so heavily on Canadian product. Most sources believed that the threat of tariffs was largely a bargaining tool related to border security. The US has limited domestic MOP production and more than 80pc of its potash needs are from Canada — 9mn-10mn t/yr of MOP. No other major potash import market relies so heavily on one source. The US also stopped taking MOP from Belarus in 2022 following sanctions, and the lack of Canadian MOP will only further limit supply options. The upcoming US spring market should largely be unaffected as suppliers have positioned stocks accordingly, but granular MOP prices have been on an upwards trend. The president of US fertilizer company Mosaic Bruce Bodine said in an earnings call last week that Mosaic expects potash to remain "affordable" and for no demand destruction to occur because of the tariffs. But affordability could change if corn prices fall or potash prices increase. Whether prices could change enough to affect US consumption is unclear. At a global level, MOP prices remain firm and the implementation of the tariffs today are unlikely to prompt any major change in reactions from key markets. Market participants will keep a close eye on any potential change in trade flows. Canada has responded with its own retaliatory tariffs on $30bn of US imports, followed by another $125bn of imports in 21 days' time. By Julia Campbell Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Indonesia's Kaltim retenders to sell granular urea


25/03/04
25/03/04

Indonesia's Kaltim retenders to sell granular urea

Amsterdam, 4 March (Argus) — Indonesian Pupuk subsidiary Kaltim will close a tender on 5 March, offering 45,000t of granular urea for loading in the second week of March. This latest tender follows the producer's 25 February tender to sell the same amount over the same loading period, which Kaltim eventually scrapped with the highest bid in the low-$410s/t fob. The producer had sought around $430/t fob Bontang. Activity in the international urea market has remained slow in the past week, as producers wait for an Indian tender issuance in a bid to hold levels close to the recent highs set in mid-February. But prices have slipped as the US urea import line-up builds and with Iranian production set to resume in the next week or so, amid a dip in international gas and grain prices. By Harry Minihan Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Australia should incentivise renewable fuels: Lobby


25/03/04
25/03/04

Australia should incentivise renewable fuels: Lobby

Sydney, 4 March (Argus) — Australia's growing dependence on oil product imports may continue if a domestic renewables fuels sector is not incentivised shortly, as feedstocks will increasingly become contracted elsewhere, domestic bioenergy lobby Bioenergy Australia (BA) said. BA is calling for greater government direction for the sector, highlighting the A$6bn/yr ($3.7bn/yr) in feedstocks that the nation exports. BA released the Securing our Fuel Future report ahead of Australian Renewable Fuels Week in Sydney, which began on 4 March. BA's report said a reliance on Singapore, South Korea and China for key product imports posed a risk to the economy and national defence, with 80pc of Australia's liquid fuel demand by 2050 to be concentrated in critical hard-to-electrify sectors such as aviation, heavy freight and mining, with major customers supporting domestic low-carbon fuel refineries to meet demand and ensure secure supply. But Australia's government has been slow to progress incentivising renewable fuels, despite promising a certification scheme for low-carbon liquid fuels, including sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and renewable diesel in last year's federal budget. BA has said 60pc of Australian jet fuel demand could be met by turning locally-produced inputs such as tallow into SAF, providing a decarbonisation option for the hard-to-abate sector, but proposed projects remain in the development stage. A pipeline of proposals to produce renewable diesel (RD) and SAF exist, which would help Australia build on its existing ethanol and biodiesel sectors, with the report contrasting this with the nation's declining crude production and the unsuitability of remaining local grades for Australia's refiners. Australia's small biofuels industry is operating below capacity, based on 2022 figures of just 175mn litres/yr (l/yr) of ethanol produced. Output could rise to 436mn l/yr or about 2.7pc of Australia's 2024 gasoline consumption of 16.25bn l by utilising this capacity, the paper found. Similarly, just 1.5mn l of biodiesel was produced in 2023 despite capacity for 110mn l/yr, indicating the potential for rapid scale-up if fuel security interruptions occur. Australia's feedstock capacity of agricultural products and residues, tallow, used cooking oil (UCO), solid wastes and forestry products represent 40 times its annual fuel requirements, compared to the US and Brazil at three times, meaning it could provide stable market supply. New Zealand, which has lacked a domestic refining capacity since 2022, last week released two reports into its own fuel security. They found that increased storage and uptake of zero-emission vehicles would be preferable to reopening its shuttered 135,000 b/d refinery, while recommending further study into SAF and RD. By Tom Major Australian biofuels projects State Fuel type Capacity (mn l/yr) Feedstock Wilmar Sugar Sarina biorefinery Queensland ethanol 60 Molasses Manildra Group Shoalhaven Starches New South Wales ethanol 300 Wheat starch Dalby biorefinery Queensland ethanol 76 Red sorghum Eco Tech biodiesel Queensland biodiesel 30 Waste streams Biodiesel Industries Australia New South Wales biodiesel 20 UCO Just Biodiesel Victoria biodiesel 60 Tallow, UCO Source: Deloitte Dalby biorefinery ceased production in 2020 Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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