INTREPID POTASH Inc, the leading US-based fertilizer manufacturer, has announced that it has increased its agricultural pricing for potash by US$50/t at all locations and on all new orders as of 8 February 2021. Potash price is now posted at US$140/t above the 2020 summer-fill value. Orders taken at the previous price level are expected to be delivered by the end of April. “Intrepid continues to benefit from great early season demand for fertilizer as increasing commodity prices, tightening inventory levels, and strong farm economics are quickly leading to the best spring season in years.” said Bob Jornayvaz, Intrepid’s Executive Chairman, President, and CEO. “After 2 years of lackluster application, farmers are eager to replace nutrients and maximize yield in this increasingly strong commodity environment. Last week, we finished booking historic second quarter volumes at the full US$40/t price increase announced in December and are confident of moving price higher immediately. We expect to achieve this higher pricing on spot tons in the second quarter.”
EMMERSON Plc, the Moroccan focused potash development company, has announced that it is in the process of assessing a conceptual, staged development for its 100%-owned Khemisset potash project aimed at reducing upfront capital costs and incorporating expansion options into the development plan of the project. The company recently received the Mining Licence for Khemisset, providing the company with the exclusive right to develop and mine the potash deposit in the Khemisset basin ahead of the anticipated initiation of construction by the end of 2021. “The most obvious is the potential to expand the project, given it is currently based on less than 50% of our total mineral resource estimate,“ Graham Clarke, Emmerson’s CEO, commented. “We have also previously discussed the potential to increase our salt sales and our ongoing investigations into the global de-icing salt market and, in particular, the US market gives us a high level of confidence in our ability to upscale our salt production significantly.“ Clarke also added that „with our mining licence in hand, we see 2021 as a pivotal year for our development as we aim to become the only potash producer in Africa and the only independent potash producer globally.”
YARA INTERNATIONAL ASA, a Norwegian chemical company, has signed a Letter of Intent with Statkraft and Aker Horizons aiming to establish a large-scale green ammonia project in Norway, enable the hydrogen economy and accelerate the green energy transition. The partners will target green hydrogen and green ammonia opportunities within shipping, agriculture and industrial applications, by electrifying Yara’s existing ammonia facility in Porsgrunn, located in the traditional region of Greenland. The partners plan to electrify and decarbonise Yara’s ammonia plant in Porsgrunn. Building on their combined expertise, the partners aim to fully remove CO2 emissions from ammonia production, thereby producing emission-free fuel for shipping, carbon-free fertilizer and ammonia for industrial applications. The conversion of Yara’s existing ammonia plant has the potential to become one of the largest climate initiatives in Norway’s industrial history, targeting annual CO2 reductions equivalent to the emissions from more than 300 000 fossil fuel passenger cars. In addition to the Porsgrunn project, the three companies plan to explore the potential for green ammonia production in Northern Norway as a future opportunity.
