Union Pacific Corp. has confirmed that rail movement resumed around noon on Wednesday May 19, at the site near Sibley, Iowa where a train derailed Sunday, May 16.
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Nutrien NH3 Plant Offline
Nutrien Ltd. reports that the company’s Geismar,
La., anhydrous ammonia plant will be down for approximately ten days due to
equipment and operational impacts from recent heavy rains.
Trammo Inks Green NH3 Offtake Deal
Trammo DMCC, a subsidiary of Trammo Inc., and ASOE Chile Diez SpA, a company owned by AustriaEnergy Group, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding for an exclusive green ammonia offtake of the entire output of a green hydrogen/green ammonia plant to be developed in Chile with an estimated annual output of 1 million mt/y of green ammonia.
This project in Chile would be one of the first ones commercializing green ammonia based on a 2GW wind park. AustriaEnergy has partnered with Oekowind, a company which develops and operates wind, hydro, and solar power plants, for this project in Chile.
Koch to Build ATS Terminal
Koch Fertilizer (KF) is building a 2-million-gallon ammonium thiosulfate (ATS) terminal at its Fort Dodge facility to support growing demand. With the additional storage and loading capacity, KF said it will be able to supply more customers throughout the Corn Belt with ATS produced by Koch affiliate, Flint Hills Resources. KF markets 100 percent of the ATS Flint Hills Resources produces at its Pine Bend refinery, approximately 100,000 st/y.
Train Derailment Delays Local Shipments Up to Three Days
A train that derailed and caught fire Sunday afternoon in Sibley, Iowa, is set to cause delays of up to three days for Union Pacific Corp. customers with shipments in that area, according to a notice from the company, released May 17. There’s no time line currently for when they’ll be able to clear the 47 affected cars off the tracks and clear the site, according to Union Pacific spokeswoman Kristen South, according to a Bloomberg report. The rail route through the middle of crop country hosts trains carrying “anything and everything,” from agricultural products to lumber to chemicals, she said. However, she said that while a car had carried liquid ammonium nitrate, it was empty at the time of the incident. Initial reports warned that ammonium nitrate was carried by the train.
RCF Calls Urea Tender
Rashtriya Chemicals & Fertilizers called a urea tender to close May 25. The shipping deadline is June 30, just a bit more than a week after the shipping deadline for the MMTC tender. The rapid call of the tender confirmed reports that India is expected to fall short of its urea needs following the previous two tenders, which only brought in 1.35 million mt. Sources said RCF will be looking for at least 1 million mt. However, the rising prices in the urea market – Egypt now at $375/mt FOB and the Arab Gulf at $365/mt FOB – could make the large purchase difficult for the Indian treasury.
FACT Calls New Ammonia Tender
The FACT ammonia tender that closed May 5 received no offers. The Indian company issued a new tender to close May 18 for three cargoes of 7,500 mt each. Shipment is to be in late June and early July. Limited quantities and higher prices in the Arab Gulf have been limiting the tons available to the Indian company.
Mosaic Files Lawsuits over Imports
Not content with recent duties imposed on imports of phosphate fertilizers from Russia and Morocco, The Mosaic Co., Tampa, has filed a pair of federal lawsuits, arguing that the duties should have been higher and that the U.S. Department of Commerce miscalculated the value of certain foreign government subsidies, according to a Bloomberg Law report. Mosaic challenges the rate calculations in a pair of complaints filed May 12 at the U.S. Court of International Trade.
MMTC Issues Intent to Buy Urea
Letters of Intent were sent out by MMTC for 549,000 mt to be delivered by June 21. The difference between what was expected to be awarded and the final number was only 1,000 mt, which was reflected in the Swiss Singapore award. The trader was awarded 45,000 mt instead of the estimated 46,000 mt. Sources said a new tender for urea could be called as early as next week. The buyer will face higher prices.
Urea Prices Jump
The price for Egyptian urea has jumped from $355/mt FOB to $359/mt FOB just in Monday trading. The run-up in prices is reportedly because of strong demand from Latin America and the possibility of another Indian tender being called soon. Egypt closed last week with a high price of $350/mt FOB. Chinese producers are also offering granular at $350/mt FOB, a jump of $5-$10/mt from last week.