Page 149 - CW E-Magazine (22-10-2024)

Fertilisers

FERTILISER RAW MATERIALS
Centrex enters India with fi rst rock phosphate

shipment from Ardmore

Centrex is preparing to send the fi rst sent Australia’s fi rst phosphate export the Indian market has benefi ted from
shipment from its Ardmore rock phos- to India. Chief executive offi cer Mr. and is aligned with the recently – enacted
phate mine in Queensland, Australia, to Robert Mencel said the addition of Economic Cooperation and Trade Agree-
a new Indian customer. Owned by subsi- the Indian phosphate buyer highlights ment, which facilitates tariff-free exports
diary Agrifl ex, Ardmore is one of the Centrex’s growing international com- of Australian goods to India.
few remaining undeveloped high-grade petitiveness and presence in the global
phosphate rock deposits in the world. market, driven by the increasing pro- “For many in northern Australia, it’s
duction capacity of Ardmore. India has been a long-held dream that the immense
Samsung C&T Corporation arranged been identifi ed as a major opportunity for phosphate endowment of the Georgina
and will conduct the transaction under the Australian producers due to its heavy Basin could one day help feed Asia’s
current marketing services agreement it reliance on rock phosphate imports. burgeoning economic and population
has with Centrex. It is the world’s largest import market, growth,” Mr. Mencel said. “Centrex’s fi rst
with 10-mt brought in per annum. shipment of high-grade, low-impurity
First shipment phosphate concentrate into this strategic
The shipment of approximately Trade agreement market is beginning to turn this dream
25,000-tonnes from Ardmore will repre- Mr. Mencel said Centrex’s entry into into reality.”
‘Excessive fertiliser use, nutrient imbalance threaten

Punjab’s soil health’

Excessive and imbalanced use of was conducted by Lopamudra Mohapatra, ing severe over-fertilisation. The study
fertilisers in paddy cultivation in Punjab Vivek Sharma, Raj Kumar Setia, Manmeet further revealed that nutrient manage-
has led to signifi cant soil contamination Kaur, Laila A. Al Shuraym, Samy Sayed, ment practices vary signifi cantly based on
and nutrient imbalance, posing substantial Ahmed Gaber and Akbar Hossain. The socioeconomic status, with resource-rich
risks to human health and environment, fi ndings have been published in the farmers tending to use excessive inputs.
according to a study. international journal Paddy and Water The study concluded that the soil contami-
Environment. The researchers interviewed nation level was higher in the Ludhiana
The study focusing on districts of 160 farmers across four villages about district, and the nutrient imbalance was
Ludhiana and Bathinda utilised a stratifi ed fertiliser application and tested soil samples greater in Bathinda. The researchers
multi-stage sampling approach to examine from their fi elds. emphasised the dire need to increase
the impact of fertiliser application on soil awareness about the judicious use of
health. The study, “Assessing fertiliser Fertiliser unsuitability index (FUI) fertilisers on a soil test basis to manage
induced adulteration and nutrient imbalance ranged from 127.7 to 164.9, with Bath- fertiliser-induced soil contamination in
in paddy growing soils in Punjab, India”, inda recording the highest FUI, indicat- paddy-growing areas of the state.
RCF awards contract to L&T for complex fertiliser plant

Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilisers worth Rs 1,000.27-crore, which is to be reducing specifi c energy consumption.
(RCF) has awarded a contract to engineer- completed in 27 months. RCF has fertilisers and chemicals manu-
ing company, Larsen & Toubro (L&T) for facturing plants at two locations, Trombay
setting up of 1,200-tpd (tonnes per day) In July this year, RCF approved a and Thal in Maharashtra, producing nitro-
complex fertiliser plant on LSTK Basis contract with Topsoe for the revamp of its genous, phosphatic and potassic fertilisers
at its site in Thal, Maharashtra. ammonia plant at RCF Thal. The contract, and a wide range of industrial chemicals.
valued at Rs. 514.6-crore, includes the pro- Currently, the shareholding of the govern-
The company at its meeting held on curement of a basic engineering design ment in RCF is 75% and the rest 25% is
October 9, 2024 accorded its approval package (BEDP) and the supply of proprie- shared among LIC/ mutual funds, UTI/
for placement of purchase order on L&T tary equipment and catalysts aimed at fi nancial institutions, and the public.

Chemical Weekly October 22, 2024 149

Contents Index to Advertisers Index to Products Advertised