All posts by mickeybarb@charter.net

New Facility Expected Up by March

Great Lakes, News, News Briefs

Northside Elevator’s new $20 million agronomy center, which is under construction in Stanley, Wisc. (GM June 24, p. 28), is expected to be completed by March 2023, according to a recent report in the Leader-Telegram, which said the facility will include 14,000 st of fertilizer storage, a 40,000 square-foot warehouse, and 1,500 square-foot office space.

Northside said the centerpiece of the project is a tower system fertilizer manufacturing plant, with other benefits including access to the CN rail line, warehousing, and office space for customer service.

Fire Destroys Building at Wilbur-Ellis Facility

News, News Briefs, Pacific N.W.

A fire destroyed a building at a Wilbur-Ellis fertilizer and blending facility in Moses Lake, Wash., on Sunday, Oct. 23. Firefighters were called to the scene around 3:15 p.m., but the building was already engulfed and collapsed at 5:15 p.m., according to local authorities.

The local fire chief told the Columbia Basin Herald that the building was not very old and was built completely of wood, so there would be no corrosion issues. He said that was why the flames were so fast and quick.

There were no injuries, and no employees were on site at the time of the fire. Those living one mile to the northeast of the plant were asked to shelter-in-place through Monday morning as the fire continued to smolder.

The Grant County Sheriff’s Department said on Oct. 24 that none of the building contents appeared to be involved in the fire. The Grant County Fire Marshall’s Office is investigating.

Wilbur-Ellis had not responded to inquiries at press time.

Ma’aden Plans to Produce Blue Ammonia, Buys Carbon Credits

Blue Ammonia, News, News Briefs, Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabian Mining Co. (Ma’aden) is working on plans to produce blue ammonia, CEO Robert Wilt said in an interview with Bloomberg. Ma’aden already produces ammonia from natural gas, and is planning to trap the carbon dioxide emitted in the process so the product can be labeled blue.

“Right now there’s no premium for blue ammonia, but as we continue to help the energy transition globally it’s something we’re going to focus on,” said Wilt.

State oil giant Saudi Aramco is also looking to invest in carbon capture and storage with the aim of producing blue ammonia. Saudi Arabia has so far only produced blue ammonia by capturing and using the CO2, rather than storing it permanently.

Aside from blue ammonia, Ma’aden is also looking to use solar energy to power its aluminum smelter, so it can market the product as green, Wilt said.

In other news, Ma’aden was one of the largest purchasers of carbon credits from the first MENA Voluntary Carbon Market auction and the largest in the world, held on Oct. 26, 2022, at the 6th edition of the Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh.

The auction offered CORSIA-compliant and Verra-registered carbon credits, with 15 Saudi and regional entities participating in the sale.

“As the world moves towards net zero, we need to do our part to ensure meaningful emission reductions in value chains,” said Wilt. “We are proud to support this world-leading initiative by Saudi Arabia, which reiterates the nation’s commitment to net zero ambitions.”

“Ma’aden is committed to being an ESG leader in the Kingdom as the mining industry grows in prominence and becomes a key player in powering the energy transition,” he added. “We will continue to decarbonize our operations as we seek to build the mining industry into the third pillar of Saudi economy, in line with Vision 2030.”

Other Ma’aden initiatives include a commitment to build the world’s largest solar process steam plant in Ras Al Khair, which will reduce Ma’aden’s emissions by 600,000 mt/y, and a commitment to plant 20 million trees by 2040 to contribute to the Saudi Green Initiative. Ma’aden has planted over 3 million trees since 2013.

New Brunswick Seeks Potash Exploration; Nutrien Focus Remains on Saskatchewan

Canada, Featured, News, Potash, Saskatchewan

The provincial government of New Brunswick on Oct. 21 issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for potash exploration in the Salt Springs and Cassidy Lake areas, southeast of Norton.

“Potash has been an important contributor to the local and provincial economy in New Brunswick for more than 50 years,” said Natural Resources and Energy Development Minister Mike Holland. “Our current geopolitical climate has clearly shown how requirements for natural resources connect us and affect us globally. As the only region along the eastern seaboard of North America that has mined potash resources, this is a great opportunity for New Brunswick.”

The area in question is about 26,350 hectares in size. Most of the land is privately owned.

Interested parties will have until Dec. 20 to submit proposals outlining how they would conduct exploration for potash resources, and in the event of a discovery, how they would develop potash and/or related evaporite mineral deposits.

This RFP is for exploration only. If no satisfactory proposals are received, exploration rights will not be issued.

The province said any successful proponent will enter into an exploration agreement outlining how the work will be done. Exploration activity of a damaging nature may not proceed without landowner permission and a work authorization from the department.

The exploration agreement would also specify the terms of a mining lease agreement, which would be made available in the event the construction of a mine or processing facility were approved.

Potash has been identified as a critical mineral by Natural Resources Canada. It was placed on Canada’s Critical Minerals List 2021, a list of minerals essential to Canada’s economic security.

Nutrien Ltd. announced in November 2018 (GM Nov. 9, 2018) that following a strategic review of the company’s potash portfolio, it decided to permanently close its New Brunswick potash facility. It recorded a US$1.8 billion non-cash impairment in the third quarter of 2018 as a result.

The company said at the time that it had no plans to sell the mine. The facility had been placed in care and maintenance in early 2016 (GM Jan. 22, 2016) and has not produced potash since that time, though it has continued to produce salt (GM Feb. 5, p. 13). Nutrien said the decision to close the New Brunswick facility reflected the company’s ability to increase potash production in Saskatchewan at a significantly lower operating and capital cost than resuming production in New Brunswick.

“The world potash market continues to evolve daily, and there is considerable uncertainty with regards to production levels in Eastern Europe as a result of the conflict in Ukraine and the sanctions on Belarus,” a Nutrien spokesperson told Green Markets, when asked if Nutrien may have rethought its plans for New Brunswick.

“On March 16, we announced a plan to safely and sustainably increase 2022 potash production capability to approximately 15 million mt in response to the uncertainty of supply from Eastern Europe. The majority of this additional volume is expected to be delivered in the second half of the year, and the additional volume will come from our six low-cost potash mine sites across Saskatchewan. On June 9, during our Investor Day call, we announced an additional potash production capability to 18 million mt by 2025,” the spokesperson said.

“In utilizing our mine network in Saskatchewan for additional capacity, we have no plans at this time to expand our New Brunswick mine,” the spokesperson continued. “We’re proud to be a member of the Sussex community and take a long-term view to our operations. The provincial government has extended the existing contract with Nutrien and its mine in the Sussex region for the supply of road salt. This is excellent news for both the province and Nutrien as it enables us to maintain our presence in the province, retain our local experienced workforce, contribute to the local economy through taxes, royalties and community investment, and provide an essential product for safe winter driving.”

Vopak Singapore Studies Expansion of Ammonia Infrastructure at Jurong Island Terminal

Ammonia, News, News Briefs, Northwestern Europe

Vopak Singapore, a unit of Netherlands-based tank storage major Royal Vopak NV, is looking at expanding its ammonia infrastructure at its Banyan terminal on Jurong Island

Vopak’s Banyan terminal, located off the southwestern coast of Singapore, has a storage capacity of close to 1.5 million cubic meters (cbm), and is an integrated oil, chemical, and gas hybrid storage facility. Currently, the terminal owns and operates a refrigerated ammonia tank with a capacity of 10,000 cbm, which is supporting petrochemical activities in Singapore.

The expansion, subject to final investment decision, will add new storage capacity for ammonia to primarily support the power and maritime sectors. Vopak Singapore has recently completed the conceptual design of the planned expansion and has commenced the quantitative risk assessment study.

Royal Vopak announced earlier this month it is making preparation at Vopak Terminal Vlissingen for the storage of green ammonia in response to the growing demand for sustainable raw materials and energy in the region (GM Oct. 14, p. 31).

Nitricity, IFDC Collaborate on Demo-System

California, News, News Briefs, Nitrogen, Specialty

Ag startup Nitricity, San Francisco, which has a technology to produce renewable nitrogen point-of-use, announced on Oct. 24 that it will collaborate with the International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC), Muscle Shoals, Ala., on the launch of a demonstration system at IFDC’s research facility in Muscle Shoals.

The company said the project will seek to uncover Nitricity’s current greenhouse gas emissions profile and opportunities for further reduction. The project consists of running a Nitricity demo-system installed at IFDC to produce sustainable nitric acid and other nitrate-based fertilizers from air, water, and renewable electricity. Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions will be measured from fertilizer production to soil application in a lab setting.

“Our work at IFDC is centered on improving sustainable agricultural productivity through proven, science-based research and methods,” said Dr. Upendra Singh, Vice President of Research at IFDC. “We are intrigued by the potential of Nitricity’s electrified fertilizer production method, and we look forward to reporting on the sustainability and scalability of this technology.”

The findings of the research project, expected to be available as early as the end of 2022, are expected to validate Nitricity’s technology as a potential tool to help mitigate GHG emissions from fertilizer production to field application when compared to conventional fertilizers.

“This collaboration has come at an incredibly important time, with recent volatility in the synthetic fertilizer market leaving many farmers with fewer options to grow crops efficiently,” said Nicolas Pinkowski, CEO and Co-Founder of Nitricity. “This crisis is particularly dire in Sub-Saharan Africa, an area of focus for our partners at IFDC. We are confident that through proving the effectiveness and sustainability of Nitricity’s production model in this demonstration, we will be able to quickly expand our efforts to regions where they are most needed.”

IHI, Sembcorp Sign Green MOU

Japan, News, News Briefs

IHI Corp., Tokyo, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with energy provider Sembcorp Industries, Singapore, to jointly explore decarbonization initiatives that will underpin the energy transition and sustainable development in Singapore and Asia Pacific.

The collaboration will explore the development of an integrated green ammonia supply chain, both upstream and downstream. In Singapore, the two companies will study the introduction of an ammonia-fueled gas turbine as well as the conversion of existing assets to ammonia and mixed fuel within Sembcorp’s facilities on Jurong Island, along with developing infrastructure facilities for the reception and utilization of ammonia.

As part of the Singapore Green Plan 2030, the Singapore government announced the “Sustainable Jurong Island” initiative in November 2021 to transform Jurong Island into a sustainable Energy & Chemicals (E&C) Park, which will promote the use of low-carbon and carbon-free fuels as a step towards achieving this goal.

Sembcorp reports a balanced energy portfolio of 16.6GW, with 7.1GW of renewable energy capacity comprising solar, wind and energy storage globally.

“Smart Fertilizer” Research Hub Launched in Australia

Australia, News, News Briefs

The multidisciplinary Hub for Smart Fertilizers has been launched at the University of Melbourne. The goal is to develop new biochemical inhibitors and “smart fertilizers” to increase the efficiency of nitrogen use by up to 20%, meaning farmers can use less fertilizer.

The Hub is a partnership between the University of Melbourne, La Trobe University, Incitec Pivot Fertilisers, and Elders Rural Services Australia, and involves representatives from key agricultural businesses and development corporations, including Ausveg, Bonaccord Ingram, Food and Fibre Gippsland, Grains Research and Development Corp., and Sensand.

Hub Director and leader of the Soils and the Environment Research Group at the University of Melbourne Professor Deli Chen said the Hub has already made significant progress toward its goals of both individual farm profitability and environmental sustainability. “We have already had a new nitrification inhibitor patent approved, [and] developed the framework of a smart engineering coating and eco-friendly metal-phenolic networks (MPNs),” said Professor Chen. “We have established a new bio-fertilizer research theme and industry placement programs.

“We are also developing evidence-based estimates of environmental and health costs of nitrogen losses and the social benefits of new fertilizers, which will be an important source to inform government policy, industry, and the community,” he added.

“The Hub aims to drive significant yield increases per unit of nitrogen used by Australian farmers by addressing key loss mechanisms,” said IPF Vice President of Agronomy and Innovation Charlie Walker, who added that the Hub was central to the company’s soil health strategy.

The Hub’s A$11.35 million funding includes an investment of $4.95 million from the Australian Research Council, $3.8 million from IPF, $2 million from the University of Melbourne, $100,000 from La Trobe University, and $500,000 from Elders Rural Services Australia.

Ostara Raises $70 M to Complete 200,000 st/y St. Louis Phosphate Plant

Featured, News, Specialty, Western Cornbelt

Ostara™ announced on Oct. 28 that it has raised US$70 million in Series C funding to complete the construction of its St. Louis manufacturing facility (GM July 1, p. 1) that will produce its Crystal Green® line of granular phosphate fertilizers for agriculture, specialty, and turf markets in the North America. The funding includes multiple new investors, including Carica Sustainable Investments, as well as existing investors Forage Capital Partners, the Cibus Funds, and Grosvenor Food and AgTech.

“Ostara is excited to rapidly increase our North American manufacturing base, enabling us to serve more U.S. and Canadian farmers,” said Kerry Cebul, Ostara CEO. The company currently operates a facility in Florida, but desired an additional presence in the central part of the country.

Ostara said the plant is strategically located in St. Louis, in the heart of midwestern agriculture. Once complete, the facility will produce 200,000 st/y, providing product in time for the 2024 growing season as it is expected up in third-quarter 2023. The company said the plant represents a major step forward in the production of the next generation of highly efficient, plant-available, sustainable phosphate products.

“Phosphates are critical to the production of all crops, yet we know traditional fertilizers are inefficient, increasing their impact on climate and water,” said Ham James, Managing Partner at Carica Sustainable Investments, a new Ostara investor that invests in businesses that drive positive environmental and economic outcomes. “Ostara’s proven, innovative technology brings new, efficient phosphate tools to the farm-gate, which enable growers to produce great crops and protect our waterways by limiting runoff.”

“The world’s agriculture market is facing unprecedented times,” said Jim Taylor, Managing Partner at Forage Capital, a Canadian firm that invests in the Ag and Food sectors, having managed over $500 million in commitments to the industry over the last 18 years. “From shortages in food production, to rising energy prices and significant declines in fertilizer availability, there has never been a greater need for ultra-efficient, sustainable fertilizers like Ostara’s.

“The company not only has the ability to continue to scale world-class manufacturing capacity that can help farmers produce crops, reduce phosphates in waterways, and reduce greenhouse gasses, but it can also do so at a pace and size that will help address the challenges facing global fertilizer supply,” Taylor added.

Ostara purchased its St. Louis facility from Bruce Oakley Inc. in 2021, with plans to construct a state-of-the-art granulation facility to produce its fertilizers (GM July 16, 2021), which will create dozens of new jobs in the St. Louis area.

South Harz Potash Ltd. – Management Brief

Australia, Management Briefs, Potash

Junior miner South Harz Potash Ltd., West Perth, Western Australia, which is developing potash assets in Germany, on Oct. 24 announced the appointment of Luis da Silva as Managing Director and CEO, effective Nov. 1, 2022.

Da Silva has close to 30 years’ experience in the mining industry. Over the last 15 years he progressively has held CEO roles at listed mining companies, which included his significant involvement in the phosphate and fertilizer industries. Most recently, he was President and CEO of Andean Precious Metals, a Latin American silver producer from its San Bartolome Mine in Bolivia.

Da Silva’s immediate focus in his new role will be the evaluation and optimization of South Harz’s advancement and development strategy for its flagship Ohmgebirge deposit.