Fertilizers

HOUSTON (ICIS)–The Fertilizer Institute (TFI) told the US Surface Transportation Board (STB) in testimony on Tuesday that there is an ongoing need for the freight rail industry to shift its focus toward customer service and growth. The industry group said the fertilizer segment has long relied on rail service for the efficient and safe transport of its products, but it has struggled with declining service quality, increasing rates and a lack of attention to customer needs. “The fertilizer industry is heavily reliant on rail and cannot afford to see continued stagnation in freight rail service,” said Ryan Bowley, TFI vice president of government affairs. “Unfortunately, we have seen freight volumes plateau, services decline and rates skyrocket.” TFI said that their testimony comes at a pivotal time for the Class I railroads as the STB’s inquiry into the rail industry’s growth potential highlights a disturbing trend, which is that freight rail carloads have been in decline since 2008. Trucking and other transportation sectors have consistently expanded their capacity. At the same time that rail employment has dropped, and carloads have declined, rail rates have surged. TFI said between 2005 and 2017, rates for transporting critical farm inputs like anhydrous ammonia increased by over 200%. It noted that such price hikes, combined with inconsistent service, have made it difficult for fertilizer companies to meet the just-in-time delivery demands of farmers across the country. “These rising costs and service failures are particularly troubling for industries like ours, which depend on rail to move bulk products safely,” Bowley said. “Our members regularly face delays, held shipments and escalating rates, often without any recourse. It is clear that a new approach is needed.” TFI highlighted the need for the rail industry to pivot toward a customer-focused, growth-driven model that balances profitability with service quality as the industry’s adoption of Precision Scheduled Railroading has led to deep cuts in staff and equipment and adding to service issues. The group did praise recent moves by the STB to increase oversight of rail service and pricing, including the implementation of faster emergency service orders. It did stress the importance of additional reforms such as expanding access to reciprocal switching, a policy that would allow shippers to switch between competing rail carriers more easily. “The rail industry should be actively competing for freight, not relying on captive customers to drive revenue. We need a system where railroads are not just collecting more revenue from a shrinking base but are growing their business by serving more customers with better service,” Bowley said.

17-Sep-2024

HOUSTON (ICIS)–The US Department of Energy (DOE) has announced a conditional commitment for up to $1.559 billion to Wabash Valley Resources to help finance a commercial-scale waste-to-ammonia production facility using carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) technology. The government funding would be part of a total investment of $2.4 billion that Wabash Valley Resources would secure for the project through private investment. Located in West Terre Haute, Indiana, the project is being planned to produce 500,000 tonnes of anhydrous ammonia annually and permanently sequestering 1.6 million tonnes of carbon dioxide annually. Officials said it will have the potential to be the world’s first, carbon-negative ammonia production facility and that the company would be repurposing an industrial gasifier to utilize petroleum coke. This will be the US’ first efforts to utilize petroleum coke to produce ammonia and store the associated emissions via permanent geologic sequestration. Wabash Valley Resources said it is their intention to demonstrate a commercially and environmentally viable end-use alternative for petroleum coke, which is a waste product generated during the oil refining process. Officials said this project would play a critical role in securing domestic fertilizer supply for the region commonly known as the Corn Belt, contributing to both food security and climate goals. This low-carbon ammonia would be cost-competitive compared to existing ammonia imports, helping to drive down costs for local businesses and consumers. It was noted that while ammonia fertilizer is a crucial element of the US agricultural system, its production is a significant contributor to climate change. Globally, the manufacturing of the nutrient accounts for 1% to 2% of all carbon dioxide emissions. Through this project, Wabash Valley Resources is striving to reduce the agricultural industry’s emissions. In addition to its environmental benefits, the project is expected to create 500 construction jobs and 125 operations jobs.

17-Sep-2024

HOUSTON (ICIS)–Expected to make landfall late Monday in South Carolina but not develop further, the next round of tropical weather is already delivering wind and rains to the region but for the fertilizer industry, it was not seen as being the type of threat that Hurricane Francine was last week. While South Carolina and North Carolina have significant agriculture activities and infrastructure along with crop nutrient operations and distribution, fertilizer manufacturing is less prevalent than in other parts of the US. The storm was being classified as a tropical rainstorm with potential to produce several inches of rain per hour with it expected to trek northward once it makes landfall. There have been tropical storm-force winds seen from this event but there has not been a defined center of circulation. In terms of major fertilizer activity, Canadian producer Nutrien has the Aurora Phosphate plant in Aurora, North Carolina, with the city located near the coast. The company said it is keeping aware and taking necessary steps. “We are actively monitoring the tropical storm system and have comprehensive emergency response plans in place to ensure the safety of our people and operational integrity of our facilities,” said a Nutrien spokesperson. Like the previous tropical weather that has struck the US, this storm’s wrath will bring the most damage to crops. Harvesting of corn and soybeans are underway, with cotton and other crops now maturing also in jeopardy, with the heavy rainfall likely causing some localized flooding. Harvesting campaigns in both South Carolina and North Carolina have been halted, with this trend possibly carrying into the surrounding states. If the rain is extensive the delay could be several days, if not longer depending on rainfall amounts. The concern is with a delay in these activities it creates an additional lag for starting post-harvest field activities like end-of-the-year fertilizing. The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported that 47% of the corn crop had been completed with only 1% of soybeans having been harvested in North Carolina. There were no results provided for South Carolina. As with Hurricane Francine which hit both Louisiana and Mississippi much more severely, the true impact of this latest tropical system will be felt in crop damage rather than damaged fertilizer plants or retail operations. There is concern that any loss of yields will mean less income for farmers which then could cause a sizeable decrease in buying for further volumes.

16-Sep-2024

HOUSTON (ICIS)–Fertilizer developer Genesis Fertilizers announced it has partnered with technology provider CARBONCO and has agreed to negotiate formal licensing and process design package services for a carbon capture and storage (CCS) project. Genesis said this collaboration marks a significant step toward the potential production of sustainable, low-carbon ammonia and urea nitrogen fertilizer for their farming partners and the broader fertilizer industry in North America. Under the terms CARBONCO would be responsible for implementing a solution capable of capturing approximately 1 million tonnes of carbon dioxide annually, which would then be transported directly to a sequestration hub. If implemented, the CCS project would be built at the proposed Genesis Fertilizers production complex to be constructed in Belle Plaine, Saskatchewan, Canada. The company said both parties are confident that this first-of-its-kind CCS project would play a pivotal role in supplying exceptionally clean grain to the market. “In line with our ultimate low carbon intensity fertilizer goal, Genesis Fertilizers has been working with CARBONCO and is pleased to welcome them as our technology provider to explore an exciting opportunity to implement their carbon capture solution,” said Jason Mann, Genesis Fertilizers CEO. “We believe that CARBONCO is the most suitable partner for our project, offering a robust solution that meets our technical and commercial needs.” The front-end engineering design (FEED) phase for Genesis Fertilizers project is expected to begin within the next few months. The company said the final investment decision will be made based on the results of the FEED work and other critical steps, but it is aiming to commence commercial operations by 2029. As proposed there would eventually be both ammonia and urea production with plans to have 75% of output locked into farmer commitments with the balance sold on the open market. Genesis has previously said the goal of this development is to help farmers have access to a vertically integrate fertilizer supply and enable the production of low carbon grain.

13-Sep-2024

HOUSTON (ICIS)–As the remnants of what was Hurricane Francine continues to inundate and bring severe weather threats to parts of the southern US, the fertilizer industry in Louisiana was back in action on Friday having emerged mostly unscathed by the storm. Having escaped any confirmed property damage, with the largest obstacle the loss of power, plant facilities were said to be back online, with fertilizer producers including Nutrien having confirmed the lack of impact from Francine which made landfall on 11 September. Most of the problems faced in the last few days have been delayed and halted logistics given the fierce winds and heavy rains along with the brief stoppage of railroad and port operations. A common refrain was echoed by a producer source who said, “we had some logistical issues but no physical damage”. In Donaldsonville fertilizer producer CF Industries was heard to be back in production and loading supply as the storm brought some disruption to their transportation schedule. The company has not commented during this event but as a trader said, “CF now back running. Barges likely to get sorted over the weekend and river likely to be back open”. With the port in New Orleans (Nola) back in operation there was also further urea barges business done with expectations of a significant period of post-harvest application over the upcoming weeks not washed away by the recent weather. Harvesting campaigns have taken a hit and will be delayed for several days, possibly even longer depending on rainfall amounts. The concern is with a delay in these activities it creates an additional lag for starting post-harvest field activities like end of the year fertilizing. The real impact of this storm and its subsequent sway on domestic fertilizer direction likely comes once the extent of crop damage is understood, with the storm having arrived as there was considerable acreage nearing maturity or being harvested across several states. Lost of yields causing a reduction in income could mean a decrease in buying for immediate supply or reduced interest in pre-pay commitments.

13-Sep-2024

HOUSTON (ICIS)–Hurricane Francine charged through southern Louisiana and although it gave plenty of soaking rains to the communities and businesses it passed through, most of the fertilizer industry within Louisiana appears to have weathered the storm fairly well. With 100 mile/h winds, Francine was a Category 2 storm at landfall but as of late Thursday, was categorized as a post-tropical storm and was located south of Memphis, Tennessee, with winds down to 25 miles/h and moving north at 9 miles/h. Having a short window as Francine quickly developed and advanced in strength and speed, the domestic fertilizer participants and companies rapidly put their response plans into action over the first part of the week and prepared for the storm. The industry in the Gulf Coast region does have the experience of having to face these threats often, so they are familiar with the challenges and dangers presented but also have constructed facilities and other assets to withstand a tropical storm or hurricane. In New Orleans, there were winds measured at a top speed of 70 miles/h and there was tremendous amount of rainfall with an estimated total from Francine placed at 8.43 inches, with parts of Mississippi having received over 6 inches. Still even with the gusty winds, the city and the fertilizer infrastructure were not significantly struck considering past events faced by this community, with a market source saying that barge operations are seeing all cargoes accounted for. Over in Geismar, despite some reports that there were issues, Canadian fertilizer major Nutrien said it did not have any complications. “Fortunately, we had no impact at the Geismar nitrogen site. Our people are safe and the plants remain operational,” said a Nutrien spokesperson. Yet not all apparently fared as well because there was talk that producer Mosaic is understood to have its Faustina operations offline, but it has not confirmed any plant status. While in Donaldsonville, the power supply is understood to have been restored leading to expectations that there will be a resumption of production occurring soon. Producer CF, who has a large nitrogen complex in this location, has not responded to requests for comment about its storm preparation and has previously stated it will not comment on plant operations. The next big concern will be over how extensive the crops were damaged, which could take some time to determine. Yet with the fierce winds and strong downpours already experienced it is likely that vulnerable crops like cotton and corn would have been impacted. Although with the lesser severity of the storm, it is possible the impacts on other vital acreage like sugarcane and rice have not been as affected. There have already been concerns over farmers facing reduced income levels this year which has been heightened by crop price pressures and has weighed on fertilizer commitments. Combined, these factors make any prospects of lost yields and washed-away profits a real concern for both growers and fertilizer participants.

12-Sep-2024

HOUSTON (ICIS)–As Hurricane Francine charged forward with its landfall in southern Louisiana as a category two storm late on Wednesday, pushing out high winds and heavy downpours, US farmers and fertilizer industry participants appear prepared for the impacts but are hopeful for a short-lived event. With crops like cotton and sugarcane in the fields and fertilizer plants scattered across the landscape, there are concerns over how hard Louisiana will be hit with the state already seeing deteriorating conditions since late on 10 September. Part of the concern anytime there are tropical threats in this area is flooding from significant rainfall especially within the New Orleans area (Nola), whose port is crucial to the fertilizer industry and heavily relied on by agricultural interest as well. With the last few days having been spent getting ready for this storm that quickly developed, the pace of fertilizers has now taken a step back with a source saying “Eyes are just on Francine at the moment. Nola is at a standstill so hoping the impacts are not long-lived.” No production impacts have been reported with producers having been quiet on their activities outside of Canadian major Nutrien, who has both production and other interests in the projected path of the storm. The company said in a statement on 11 September there were no further updates, and it was actively monitoring the storm and did have an active comprehensive emergency response plan. While the most recent US Department of Agriculture (USDA) crop progress report on 9 September did not indicate any numbers for the Louisiana corn crop, recent field reports have indicated a good portion has been completed with rice and soybean harvest underway in many locations. Cotton harvest has not begun for most of the state with defoliating applications having recently underway to prepare for machine harvesting which potentially leaves the crop more vulnerable. Updates on the Louisiana soybean harvest have not yet been released but it is likely some acreage was underway or on the verge of being fully mature with the USDA report showing there was 68% of the acreage that have reached the dropping leaves stage. Like cotton this puts the crop far into maturity and at risk for intense winds and excessive rain. By late on 11 September the storm was having significant impacts on Mississippi as well, which is home to not only considerable crop acreage but fertilizer production and storage but also distribution logistics and retail operations. Like Louisiana, there is considerable soybean acreage in Mississippi, and it is possible that some of this crop was also being harvested or about to commence with it also seeing 68% of their acreage now dropping leaves. The state also has considerable cotton acreage as well that could be severely damaged by Francine. The biggest impact from this hurricane for fertilizers will probably not be seen in terms of infrastructure damage to plants or wrecking of logistic operations but it will be based on how hard this hurt farmers and how long they will be drying out. Once it passes out of Louisiana and through Mississippi the watch will be on for their northern neighbors as the current forecasted path has the storm moving upwards almost parallel with the Mississippi River, bringing further wind and considerable rainfall. Depending on harvest progress some areas could benefit from the added moisture ahead of making fall applications. Others will find the sudden shift in conditions to be extremely limiting to further field work over the rest of September, especially for any acreage flooded in the coming days.

11-Sep-2024

HOUSTON (ICIS)–Having lashed out across northern Mexico and south Texas with rain and winds over the past 24 hours, Tropical Storm Francine has started to track further with an expected landfall in Louisianna as a moderate hurricane on 11 September. With numerous manufacturer plants, storage and shipping operations, especially within New Orleans, the state of Louisianna is an important segment for the US fertilizer industry, which has quickly turned more concerned over the possible hurricane. Especially as the tropical threat has increased in the last 36 hours and possibly bringing even more destructive impacts than initial thought over the coming days. High winds, heavy rainfall and subsequent flooding is a part of the immediate forecast with the acreage in the path of Francine maybe being subject to crop damage and significant inundation. This could decrease yields, halt harvesting and will hold back any additional field work for several weeks, including any fall fertilizing. For now, the focus is on preparing as much as possible for what might develop within the next 24 hours with producer Nutrien said it was keeping watch and was getting ready. “We are actively monitoring the situation surrounding Tropical Storm Francine and have comprehensive emergency response plans in place to ensure the safety of our people and operational integrity of our facilities,” said Nutrien spokesperson. CF Industries, with considerable operations in the storm’s project path, has not responded to inquiries over plans for storm preparation or maintaining operations. Also, without comment has been producer Mosaic, but ammonia sources said it was expecting the storm would have little bearing on current activity as it is still a quiet period for the nutrient. A phosphate source said some imports volumes which were scheduled to arrive soon have been delayed a bit because of these renewed weather concerns. Overall the cautious but not overly concerned sentiment is prevalent with it likely due to the less severity of this potential hurricane, but also because the fertilizer industry has weathered some challenges in recent years like the pandemic and international conflict. Given the past events experienced, an industry source said “I think the market has shrugged it off so far because that's how we're doing most shocks so far this year and it's worked”. Late on Tuesday afternoon Tropical Francine was at a wind speed 65mph and moving northeast at 10mph with their predictions that it will strengthen further as it moves closer to landfall estimated now to be sometime during Wednesday.

10-Sep-2024

HOUSTON (ICIS)–After a quiet few weeks for hurricane activity and with crop harvesting and movement of nutrients for autumn applications advancing, the US Gulf Coast and its agricultural and fertilizer interests are again facing a tropical weather threat. Tropical Storm Francine has developed in the Gulf of Mexico with the system moving rapidly at 60 miles/h with the edge closing in near Brownsville, Texas, along the US-Mexico border late on Monday. It is now being forecasted to bring heavy rain which could result in flooding and there is the possibility of storm surge. There are expectations that tropical storm force winds may extend up to 160 miles from the center. As Francine begins the trek northward, US farmers and fertilizer industry participants are watching the developments as the conditions will certainly deliver impacts to growers, with wind and rainfall possibly resulting in crop damage and delayed post-harvest fertilizing. Parts of south Texas are already beginning to experience these conditions with the rest of the Texas coast in the path as well, but the forecast has it eventually turning towards Louisiana. Given the duration until it strikes, it is likely the storm will intensify and gain enough in the coming days to become a moderate hurricane with impacts stretching far from the initial site of landfall. This will halt field work as well as stop harvesting progress across many states and in the aftermath will leave acreage soaked across many areas. For the fertilizer segment, there is awareness of the threat as the potential path takes it near the key location of New Orleans and across the locations of production facilities within the state, including those of CF Industries. The producer did not respond to an enquiry on its upcoming storm preparation, but no activity so far has been heard from any manufacturers in the region. As an industry source said “nobody is talking about this yet”, but that likely changes in the next 48 hours especially if the tropical system ends up displaying potential to be larger than currently anticipated.

09-Sep-2024

HOUSTON (ICIS)–Industrial gas firm Messer announced it has entered into a long-term renewal of a carbon dioxide (CO2) purchase and sale agreement with US fertilizer producer LSB Industries. As part of the agreement, Messer said it will subsequently commit more than $9 million into the liquid CO2 plant at LSB’s Cherokee, Alabama, facility with a focus of this investment on the continued safe and reliable operations at the site. The plant manufactures fertilizers including ammonia, urea and urea ammonium nitrate (UAN) and it also makes industrial and mining offerings including ammonium nitrate (AN) solutions and diesel exhaust fluid (DEF). Messer said this deal will help increase security of its CO2 supply and provide continuity to customers for decades to come. “The efficiency upgrades for the plant modernization effort will add more molecules to our network and reduce CO2 emissions at the site in-line with our sustainability goals,” said Chris Ebeling, Messer executive vice president, sales & marketing, North America.

09-Sep-2024