Shale Gas Ensures Pole Position for the USA

Fertiliser Industry Shale Gas Ensures Pole Position for the USA

11.02.2015Editor: Wolfgang Ernhofer

For the fertiliser industry, a golden age could lie ahead–American shale gas, exploding population figures and climate change are driving the demand for artificial fertilisers. Drawing on the GROAB project database, PROCESS summarises for you plant construction projects worldwide in 2014 and looks into the future of the fertiliser industry.

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Number of fertiliser plant projects ordered in 2014 according to continent, with estimated investment sum and planned production capacity.
(Source: PROCESS / © Artco; © JWMD; © bigedou - Fotolia.com)

Plant constructors and component suppliers are rubbing their hands: in the USA in particular, thanks to low gas prices, the fertiliser industry is growing and thriving. But Europe, Africa and Asia, too, want to profit from the constantly rising demand. Although farmers are constantly becoming more selective and economical in using these agents, consumption is even rising in Europe.

The experts at Ceresana predict an annual growth in consumption of 1.5 % until 2021. The market researchers from Statista therefore expect constant turnover growth in the sector. From 4.2 billion Euros in 2013, they anticipate a rise in turnover in Germany to 5.5 billion Euros in 2018. For turnover in the USA, the researchers foresee a growth in the phosphate-containing fertiliser sector to 12.3 billion Dollars in 2018. With nitrogen-containing fertilisers, they expect a rise to 10.25 billion Dollars in the same period.

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This statistic shows the annual shipment value of the fertilizer mixing manufacturing industry in the United States from 2008 to 2011, with a forecast until 2018. In 2011, the shipment value of fertilizer mixing manufacturing in the U.S. ranged at approximately 5.06 billion U.S. dollars.

This statistic depicts the development of nitrogen, phosphate and potash fertilizer production in China from 1970 to 2012. In 2004, a total of approximately 48 million tons of nitrogen, phosphate and potash fertilizer had been produced in China.

This statistic describes imports of selected fertilizers into the U.S. in 2012, by value. Potassium muriate, a straight potash fertilizer, imports totaled around 3.47 billion U.S. dollars in 2012. The United States depends heavily on nitrogen and potash imports and is a net importer of these products. Trinidad and Canada supply a large amount of the United States' supply of nitrogen fertilizers, while Canada supplies a majority of potash fertilizers.

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In the USA, CHS released a thunderbolt last year. This American agricultural cooperative showed it is serious and realised its plan for major investments in the fertiliser business. In Spiritwood Energy Park, north of Jamestown, North Dakota, a world-scale ammoniac plant will be set up. This 3 billion Dollar investment is due to produce more than 2400 tons of ammoniac for fertiliser production. This large plant will not be the last. If the dramatically falling oil prices do not make shale gas production completely uneconomical, further new fertiliser plants – especially in the USA – will in future shoot out of the ground.

Further Information about this building project, further fertiliser plants and around 3400 other large plant construction projects with client, capacity, location and investment sum etc. can be found in the GROAB database.

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