Qatar plant to boost urea supplies
By Roger Chesher
MOST of the activity in the world of fertiliser this week has not been at the farm gate, but very much behind the scenes.
The joint owners of the Qatar Fertiliser Company (Qafco) – Qatar Petroleum and Norsk Hydro – have approved a project to construct a new US$535m (365m) ammonia and urea factory in Qatar.
Capable of manufacturing 2000t/day of ammonia and 3200t of urea, the plant will make Qafco the worlds largest single ammonia and urea facility producing in excess of 4.8m tonnes each year.
While it is too early to say what impact this will have on our home markets, it is a further indication of Hydros commitment to fertiliser as a core business and illustrates the global nature of fertiliser production.
Larger volumes of efficiently produced urea available in world markets should help to keep the price of nitrogen at a reasonable level, even though urea sales represent less than 10% of our home market.
On-farm, arable buyers are too busy with drilling to even think about fertiliser sales.
PK sales are still surprisingly slow and all is quiet on the import front.
However, some nitrogen is moving, mainly on to dairy farms where signs of buoyancy are creeping back.
New-season nitrogen (SP5) 34.5% | October domestic nitrogen | Imported urea | Imported AN |
Blended 20.10.10 and 25.0.16 | Blended 25.5.5 | Liquid nitrogen, 37kg/100l or 29.6% N/t |
September 112-114 | No published price | Granular 115-120 | 88 ex-dock 100 delivered fresh |
113-115 | 107-113 | 120 |
NPK | September, pay cash | NS products |
Complex 25.5.5 | 112-118 | 112-114 |
15.15.20 | No market | |
20.10.10/29.5.5 | 118-120 | |
17.17.17 | No market |
After-cut NK cash | 0.24.24 | TSP (47% P2O5) bagged | Muriate of Potash (60% K2O) bagged |
110-115 – market virtually over | 112-114 | 125 | 122 |
IRELAND CAN 24.6.12 0.16.36 Complex compounds
Forecast prices
Urea
27.6.6
Northern Ireland
No market
110
130-135
No market
130
CAN | 24.21/2.10 | Urea, imported | 27.21/2.5 | |
Republic of Ireland* | 140-145 | 175 | No market | 170-175 |
*Note in the Republic of Ireland nutrients are expressed as elements not oxides. Analyses will not be directly comparable with those used in the UK.
*Prices in the Republic are IR
Note All illustrated prices are based on 24-tonne loads for immediate payment. Prices for smaller loads and those with credit terms will vary considerably.
Source: Bridgewater Partnership