Sulphur and Sulphuric acid
Overview
The global sulphur market has gone through fundamental changes in buying patterns, trade routes and pricing over the past few years. Fixed price contracts and formula-based indexation have become the dominant ways in which supplies are bought and sold around the world, which makes accurate price assessments and detailed analysis key to any sulphur market participants.
The global sulphuric acid industry has seen structural change in recent years and new capacities will continue to challenge the balance in the years to come. While demand will be driven by fertilizers — predominantly the increased production of phosphate and ammonium sulphates — the market will continue to be exposed to short-term supply shocks, especially from the metals sector.
Rising demand for battery materials such as nickel and cobalt (due to growing electric vehicle production) will in turn bolster demand for sulphur and sulphuric acid, increase competition for supply and impact pricing.
Our extensive market coverage includes formed sulphur (both granular and prilled), crushed lump sulphur, molten/liquid sulphur and sulphuric acid. Argus has decades of experience covering these markets, and incorporate our multi-commodity market expertise in key areas including phosphates and metals to provide the full market narrative.
Argus support market participants with:
- Price assessments (daily and weekly for sulphur, weekly for sulphuric acid), proprietary data and market commentary assessments
- Short and medium to long-term forecasting, modelling and analysis of sulphur and sulphuric acid prices, supply, demand, trade and projects
- Bespoke consulting project support
Latest sulphur and sulphuric acid news
Browse the latest market moving news on the global sulphur and sulphuric acid industry.
India's Fact tenders to buy sulphur
India's Fact tenders to buy sulphur
London, 2 December (Argus) — Indian fertilizer producer Fact issued a tender to buy 15,000-25,000t +/- 10pc of granular sulphur for 20-30 December arrival at Kochi Port on the east coast of India. The tender closes for offers on 5 December. By Maria Mosquera Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Abu Dhabi's Adnoc raises Dec sulphur price
Abu Dhabi's Adnoc raises Dec sulphur price
London, 1 December (Argus) — Abu Dhabi's state-owned Adnoc set its December official sulphur selling price (OSP) for the Indian subcontinent at $165/t fob Ruwais, up by a substantial $30/t on its November OSP. Adnoc's December OSP implies a delivered price of $183-184/t cfr India, with the freight cost for a 40,000-45,000t shipment to the east coast of India last assessed at $18-19/t on 28 November. By Maria Mosquera Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
EU sulacid supply to remain challenged in 1H25
EU sulacid supply to remain challenged in 1H25
London, 18 November (Argus) — The European sulphuric acid market will continue to face important challenges in the first half of next year because of problems relating to metal concentrate availability and ore grades, which will add further pressure to a market affected by an ongoing shortage of liquid sulphur. Smelters have faced reduced availability and quality of both copper and zinc concentrates, which coupled with record low treatment charges (TCs), have lowered overall availability of sulphuric acid this year, with the situation unlikely to change in the short to medium term. Some smelters have resorted to using metal scraps to be able to deal with the lower concentrate availability, but this is resulting in lower sulphuric acid production as recycled scraps contain less sulphate. The market will continue to be supply driven, affected by production curtailments that will reduce availability in the first half of 2025. The planned maintenance is expected to result in a 350,000t production loss. A planned outage at Bulgaria's 1.2mn t/yr Aurubis' Pirdop smelter in May-June is set to remove around 200,000-240,000t of sulphuric acid. The sulphur burner at Weylchem's Bilbao, with a capacity of 350,000 t/yr, will also undergo a month-long planned maintenance in March. In addition, Nuova Solmine's 540,000t/yr sulphur burner will be off line for four weeks from mid-March. KGHM's Legnica smelter, with a nameplate capacity of 120,000t of acid, is expected to face an output loss of around 40pc of sulphuric acid in 2025 as copper scraps will be used to replace some of the concentrates used by the smelter. But some of the output losses may be offset by the expansion of capacity at Boliden's Odda smelter, which is scheduled to come on line at the end March, with an estimated 120,000 t/yr of sulphuric acid capacity, bringing total capacity at the smelter to around 240,000 t/yr. The overall losses because of maintenance will further tighten the domestic market, which will continue to face a severe shortage of liquid sulphur. Reduced availability of liquid sulphur from refineries in northwest Europe has severely affected sulphur burners that produce sulphuric acid for captive use, with some users switching to smelter acid when possible. But some consumers, such as those where higher purity is a concern, or those needing the steam generated from sulphur burning to create energy, cannot easily replace liquid sulphur to smelter acid as a feedstock. And while end-user demand is likely to remain stable next year, supply factors will provide the main driver for the European market in 2025. By Lili Minton Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Talks to restart as port of Vancouver lockout drags
Talks to restart as port of Vancouver lockout drags
Calgary, 8 November (Argus) — A labour disruption at the port of Vancouver is now into its fifth day, but the employers association and the locked-out union are to meet this weekend to try to strike a deal and get commodities moving again. Workers belonging to the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) Local 514 on Canada's west coast have been locked out by the BC Maritime Employers Association (BCMEA) since 4 November. This came hours after the union implemented an overtime ban for its 730 ship and dock foreman members. The two sides will meet on 9 November evening with the assistance of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) in an effort to end a 19-month long dispute as they negotiate a new collective agreement to replace the one that expired in March 2023. The FMCS was already recruited for meetings in October, but that did not culminate in a deal. Natural resource-rich Canada is dependent on smooth operations at the port of Vancouver to reach international markets. The port is a major conduit for many dry and liquid bulk cargoes, including lumber, wood pellets and pulp, grains and agriculture products, caustic soda and sodium chlorate, sugar, coal, potash, sulphur, copper concentrates, zinc and lead concentrate, diesel and renewable diesel liquids and petroleum products. These account for about two-thirds of the movements through the port. Grain operations and the Westshore coal terminal are unaffected while most petroleum products also continue to move, the Port of Vancouver said on 7 November. As the parties head back to the bargaining table, the ILWU Local 514 meanwhile filed a complaint against the BCMEA on 7 November, alleging bargaining in bad faith, making threats, intimidation and coercion. "The BCMEA is trying to undermine the union by attempting to turn members against its democratically-elected leadership and bargaining committee, said ILWU Local 514 president Frank Morena on 7 November. "They know their bully tactics won't work with our members but their true goal is to bully the federal government into intervention." But that is just "another meritless claim," according to the BCMEA, who wants to restore supply chain operations as quickly as possible. The union said BC ports would still be operating if the BCMEA did not overreact with a lockout. "They are responsible for goods not being shipped to and from BC ports — not the union," Morena says. The ILWU Local 514 was found to have bargained in bad faith itself already, according to a decision by the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) in October. Billions of dollars of trade are at risk with many goods and commodities at a standstill at Vancouver, which is Canada's busiest port. A 13-day strike by ILWU longshore workers in July 2023 disrupted C$10bn ($7.3bn) worth of goods and commodities, especially those reliant on container ships, before an agreement was met. By Brett Holmes Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
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