Generic Hero BannerGeneric Hero Banner
Latest market news

ExxonMobil slams EU renewable H2 mandates

  • : Fertilizers, Hydrogen
  • 24/11/27

EU mandates for renewable hydrogen use by 2030 are jeopardising the bloc's industrial competitiveness and the Netherlands' plans for implementing the rules are "really problematic", according to ExxonMobil.

EU rules are "essentially not helpful" as they suffer from design issues and further threaten the bloc's industrial competitiveness, ExxonMobil Low-Carbon Solutions' policy manager Bert de Backker told the Argus Clean Ammonia Europe Conference in Rotterdam today.

Under the EU's revised renewable energy directive (RED III), member states must ensure that 42pc of their industrial hydrogen use is renewable by 2030 and meet a 1pc quota for use of renewable hydrogen or derivatives in transport by then.

Some industry participants might view this as helpful for driving ahead renewable hydrogen uptake and production, de Backker said. But the rules were developed based on "wrong" cost assumptions for renewable hydrogen and are set to disadvantage European producers compared with imports, he said. Industries that are subject to the mandate will struggle because the rules do not apply to imported products such as steel and chemicals, he said.

The focus on renewable hydrogen only means the mandates are a "technology bias policy," according to de Backker.

In addition, placing the same obligations on each country ignores the geographical diversity across Europe where hydrogen use varies considerably between member states and some regions have much more favourable conditions for renewable hydrogen production than others, de Backker said.

The EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) and the carbon-border adjustment mechanism (CBAM) already provide a big incentive to switch to clean hydrogen use, he said.

Member states have until 21 May 2025 to transpose the EU rules into national laws and specify how they intend to meet the mandates.

But many member states are hesitant to transpose the rules, de Backker said. Industry participants at last week's European Hydrogen Week suggested that several member states could miss the May 2025 deadline.

This creates a lot of uncertainty and diverging implementation in different countries does not help the idea of a single market, de Backker said.

If "one or two" member states fail to implement the rules, the European Commission might launch an infringement procedure against them, de Backker said. But if the majority of countries do not follow the legislation, the commission is unlikely to do this, he said.

Pioneer problems

The Netherlands recently took on something of a pioneering role by laying out its plans in a draft law that was put forward for consultation.

The government is planning to introduce obligations for individual companies from 2026. It has yet to decide the level of the mandates, but is contemplating either 8pc or 24pc by 2030, partly depending on how EU peers are planning to reach the countrywide obligations.

The mandate plans are "really problematic" and jeopardise the competitiveness of Dutch industry, de Backker said.

Studies commissioned by the government for the lawmaking process pointed to the potential threat to industry, but while the government acknowledged this, it is still planning to go ahead with the obligations, he said.

ExxonMobil plans to reduce carbon emissions from its Dutch hydrogen production by capturing and sequestering CO2. This is an example of "real-life abatement" and could cut emissions by 60pc, de Backker said. "But now the government comes and tells us we still have to use green hydrogen," he said.

The focus should be on how emissions can best be abated and industry should decide what the best tools are for this, de Backker said.

The Dutch government is planning to exempt some of the country's ammonia production from the mandates, noting that the sector is at particular risk if forced to comply with higher obligations. The EU rules potentially provide some leeway for this, although the commission has not made clear exactly under which circumstances exemptions are possible — an approach which has led to confusion in the industry.

The commission has said in workshops that it will not clarify this further for now, de Backker said. It would only let member states know retroactively by the early 2030s whether their implementation of these specific rules for ammonia is appropriate. This is "a very strange situation" and "clearly the result of a messy political compromise", de Backker said.


Related news posts

Argus illuminates the markets by putting a lens on the areas that matter most to you. The market news and commentary we publish reveals vital insights that enable you to make stronger, well-informed decisions. Explore a selection of news stories related to this one.

25/02/05

S Korea to invest $89.5mn in net zero, energy security

S Korea to invest $89.5mn in net zero, energy security

Singapore, 5 February (Argus) — South Korea today announced plans to invest 129.3bn won ($89.5mn) this year in new research and development projects in the energy sector, to achieve carbon neutrality and ensure domestic energy security. About W78.7bn will go to 41 projects in the first round of funding this year. These projects will focus on technologies related to "carbon-free" energy such as renewable energy, nuclear power, and hydrogen, among others, South Korea's energy ministry (Motie) said on 5 February. The ministry will also invest W46.2bn to improve energy efficiency and in power systems, especially given surging power demand driven by artificial intelligence. Motie also plans to invest W56.9bn in securing technologies such as next-generation solar power, flexible operation of nuclear power plants, and large-capacity water electrolysis facilities, to "respond to the climate crisis". South Korea's science ministry in December 2024 unveiled plans to invest W2.75 trillion in technologies this year to respond to climate change, which included renewable energy technology and "carbon-free" technologies like nuclear power. It is unclear if the latest W56.9bn commitment is part of the W2.75 trillion announced last year or a separate investment. South Korea in December 2024 also announced plans to invest W450 trillion won in green finance by 2030, then acting president and prime minister Han Duck-soo said before he was impeached later that week . This made deputy prime minister and finance minister Choi Sang-mok the current acting president and acting prime minister. President Yoon Suk Yeol was impeached on 14 December and has since been arrested. If Yoon is removed or resigns, a presidential election must be held within 60 days, instead of the original election date in 2027. By Tng Yong Li Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Abu Dhabi's Adnoc rolls over sulphur price in February


25/02/04
25/02/04

Abu Dhabi's Adnoc rolls over sulphur price in February

London, 4 February (Argus) — Abu Dhabi's state-owned Adnoc set its February official sulphur selling price (OSP) for the Indian subcontinent at $174/t fob Ruwais, stable from its January OSP. Adnoc's February OSP implies a delivered price of $190-191/t cfr India, with the freight cost for a 40,000-45,000t shipment to the east coast of India last assessed at $16-17/t on 30 January. The announced OSP fob price rose by $105/t from $69/t fob Ruwais in February 2024. By Maria Mosquera Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Tariffs to raise US domestic sulphur prices


25/02/03
25/02/03

Tariffs to raise US domestic sulphur prices

London, 3 February (Argus) — US sulphur consumers face higher prices as a result of President Donald Trump imposing tariffs on commodity imports from Canada and Mexico, which — along with the prospect of counter-measures — could disrupt North American sulphur trade in multiple ways. Trump issued an executive order on 1 February to impose 25pc tariffs on imports from Canada, reduced to 10pc for energy imports, and 25pc on all Mexico-sourced commodities, with the measures to come into effect on 4 February . The tariffs on energy imports from Canada and Mexico could raise sulphur prices for US consumers in two ways — directly, by increasing the price of Canadian sulphur imported to the US, and indirectly, by increasing the price of sour crude imports for US refineries, which is likely to lead to reduced flows resulting in lower domestic sulphur production and higher prices. Canadian sulphur is imported to the US for fertilizer production and industrial use, and tariffs would lead to a rise in delivered pricing of Canadian sulphur as a raw material for US fertilizer producers, with the likely knock-on impact of higher finished fertilizer prices. The US imported 850,000t of Canadian sulphur in January-November, with the majority being molten sulphur shipped by rail to the east coast, Midwest or Rocky Mountains regions. Canadian sulphur accounted for more 93pc of US sulphur imports during this period, up from 89pc from the same period in 2023. This high level of dependency is likely to mean that importers will have to accept higher prices in the near term while searching for alternative sources. Trade flow impact For their part, Canadian sulphur suppliers have some limited flexibility to increase their solid sulphur exports through Vancouver port to markets such as China, and limit liquid sulphur rail shipments to the US if tariffs make such shipments uneconomical. But a significant switch in the near term is unrealistic. Solid sulphur exports loaded at Vancouver port rose by 245,000t in 2024, bringing overall exports up by 7pc to 3.35mn t . The top destination for Canadian prilled sulphur from Vancouver last year was China, at 1.54mn t. Exports of solid sulphur through Vancouver have risen as a result of increased remelting and prilling of blocked sulphur this year from Alberta's roughly 12mn t of sulphur blocks built over time. This is expected to accelerate in 2025 as the new prilling capacity becomes more stable following earlier technical problems. But a lack of prilling capacity, the cost of additional processing, as well as limits on rail and port warehousing and loading capacity, will cap the potential to increase solid exports in the short term. Tightening availability and increasingly challenging affordability of Canadian sulphur could in turn push large US consumer Mosaic to import more solid sulphur from the Middle East for remelting in Tampa for fertilizer production. Smaller consumers, particularly in the northeast US, would likely be faced with the tariff impact. But the US may have more of its own sulphur available if Mexico responds to the US measures with counter-tariffs that disrupt the flow of US sulphur south. The US exported 376,000t of sulphur to Mexico in the first 11 months of 2024. Sulphur produced in the Gulf coast could be shipped by rail to the regions where Canadian sulphur is typically consumed, assuming infrastructure and railcar availability. But the increased freight cost could offset any potential savings relative to the 25pc tariff. In addition to rising sulphur costs, US fertilizer producers also face increased costs for imports of Canadian ammonia. These raw material price increases would be likely to be passed on to farmers, and with Canada also a large supplier of potash to the US fertilizer market, US farmers could bear the brunt of inflation driven by tariffs. Crude spillover Tariffs on crude trade between the US, Canada and Mexico will also impact the sulphur market. Canada and Mexico both export sour crude to the US, but the tariffs are likely to result in supplies from those countries being redirected to other markets. This could tighten the supply of sour crude to US refineries, reducing domestic sulphur production and pushing up prices. Mexico's state-owned oil company Pemex has more flexibility to divert its seaborne flows on economic grounds than Canadian heavy crude producers, whose output is primarily transported by pipeline to US refiners . By Maria Mosquera and Chris Mullins US sulphur imports* Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

No Trump tariff exemption on Canadian potash


25/02/03
25/02/03

No Trump tariff exemption on Canadian potash

London, 3 February (Argus) — US president Donald Trump will proceed with plans to impose a 25pc tariff on non-energy imports — including potash — from Canada, effective from 4 February. Trump signed executive orders on 1 February that will impose the levy on all US imports from Canada, although energy imports will have a lower 10pc tariff. Plans for the tariffs were announced in November, when Trump won the US presidential election, but most market participants did not expect them to be implemented, or expected that potash could be exempt, given that the US relies heavily on Canadian product. Most sources believed that the threat of tariffs was largely a bargaining tool related to border security. US fertilizer industry association The Fertilizer Institute said last week that there was not enough certainty as to whether or not the tariffs would be implemented, but if enacted would be counter to Trump's promise during his election campaign to lower grocery prices. Following the issuing of the executive order, TFI said it is ready to collaborate with the Trump administration to spur fertilizer industry growth. The US has limited domestic MOP production and over 80pc of its potash needs are sourced from Canada, around 9mn-10mn t/yr of MOP. No other major potash import market relies so heavily on one source. The US also stopped taking MOP from Belarus in 2022 following sanctions, and the lack of Canadian MOP should only further limit supply options. What does this mean for the US potash market? The tariff will no doubt raise prices in the US. MOP prices at New Orleans (Nola) and across the Corn Belt have already edged higher in recent weeks because of concerns related to potential tariffs. Nutrien increased its post-winter fill potash offers on 28 January by $25/st to $340/st fot across US midcontinent warehouses, while river terminals rose to $335/st fob. Granular MOP fob Nola values have also risen, from $255/st at the start of the year to $265/st on 30 January, compared with $322.50/st fob in January 2024. Argus calculates that the tariff will add an average premium of around $60/t at the US-Canada border but it is uncertain how much of this cost will be passed onto the buyer, or how much will be swallowed by the producer. Regardless, the higher cost of Canadian potash will likely significantly reduce the volume purchased from Canada and push US buyers to turn to alternative suppliers, which may be cheaper. But the US will not be able to replace all of the 9mn-10mn t/yr of potash that the country needs. Prices for imported MOP may also benefit from an uptick in the price of Canadian potash, as other suppliers may raise prices to narrow the premium that Canada holds, while ensuring that they still remain competitive. For the upcoming spring application season in the US, there is likely to be limited effect as domestic supply is robust and suppliers have positioned stocks accordingly, but whether the tariff will still be in place when fall demand is anticipated is difficult to predict. How will this affect Canadian exports? If the US takes less potash from Canada, the country will have no option but to push more volume for offshore exports. Canada exports around 22mn t/yr of MOP, the bulk of which is handled by Canpotex, which markets product from Nutrien and Mosaic. Germany-based K+S also exports MOP from its Bethune mine in Saskatchewan. Canada typically exports around 11mn-12.5mn t/yr of MOP via Vancouver on the west coast, and Thunder Bay and Saint John's on the east coast. The maximum volume exported from these three ports in a year is around 14mn-15mn t. Another 3mn t can be moved via Portland in the US, which will be unaffected by the tariffs. But the Canadian rail system has reduced capacity to switch to ports and the export infrastructure will likely see bottlenecks, especially as all commodities will be affected, not just potash, which means that all products will be seeking alternative markets other than the US, and the only other option is to export. Higher pricing in the US could entice other suppliers to bring more to the US, diverting product away from key market Brazil. Potash suppliers often switch between the US and Brazil, depending on which market is paying a premium. But most imports into the US come through Nola, which is far from the main MOP consuming regions further north in the Corn Belt. It is clear that the US needs Canadian potash to meet typical US application levels, and that Canada needs the US as an outlet. There remains uncertainty over how long these tariffs will last and under what conditions they might be lifted. Although there appears to be a case for potash to receive an exemption from the executive order, nothing has been said to this effect by the Trump administration. In response to Trump's tariff executive order, the Canadian government announced its own 25pc tariff on more than $100bn of US imports. By Julia Campbell and Taylor Zavala Canada MOP exports to US ’000t Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Kuwait's KPC raises February sulphur price


25/02/03
25/02/03

Kuwait's KPC raises February sulphur price

London, 3 February (Argus) — Kuwait's state-owned sulphur producer KPC has set its February Kuwait Sulphur Price (KSP) at $170/t fob Kuwait. This is up by $2/t from January's KSP of $168/t fob. The February KSP implies a delivered price to China of $190-197/t at current freight rates, which were last assessed on 30 January at $20-23/t to south China and $25-27/t to Chinese river ports for a 30,000-35,000t shipment. The announced monthly KSP fob price has risen by $101/t over the past year, from $69/t fob Kuwait in February 2024. By Maria Mosquera Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Generic Hero Banner

Business intelligence reports

Get concise, trustworthy and unbiased analysis of the latest trends and developments in oil and energy markets. These reports are specially created for decision makers who don’t have time to track markets day-by-day, minute-by-minute.

Learn more