Yara signs up for two ammonia carriers

Yara International ASA’s clean ammonia business has signed a long-term shipping contract with Navigator Amon Shipping for two dual-fuel medium gas carriers, the two companies said in a statement Sept. 1, as per Chemweek.

Yara Clean Ammonia said the two ships would have a 51,000 cubic meter storage capacity, ammonia dual-fuel engines and ice-class notation. “They will provide reliable, year-round access to Northern Europe while enabling the use of renewable and low-emission fuels,” the statement said.

The two new vessels will “reduce freight costs per tonne, strengthen margins, and enhance operational flexibility,” it said.

In July, Navigator Gas and Amon Maritime announced the creation of a joint venture to construct two ammonia-fueled carriers for delivery in June and October 2028. The two ships would be “operated under the joint venture pursuant to long-term time charters with a blue-chip industry leader, each for a period of five years from delivery,” the companies said in a statement at the time.

Yara Clean Ammonia CEO Hans Olav Raen said the contract “is a logistical and cost-efficient way to move large volumes of ammonia to Europe, reducing operational bottlenecks and delivering economies of scale.”

Yara operates the world’s largest fleet of ammonia ships, with up to 15 vessels chartered to ferry volumes between its 18 terminals globally.

A significant portion of the Handysize ships in the global ammonia fleet is currently operated by Navigator Gas and is often chartered by significant ammonia players, including Yara, Trammo and Fertiglobe PLC.

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Hodogaya Chemical Co. Ltd. has announced a 21.4% year-over-year decline in sales for the fiscal first quarter ended June 30, with total sales reaching Yen11.3 billion ($76.4 million), as per Chemweek.

The company faced a sharp drop in net profit, plummeting 64% to Yen615 million, down from Yen1.7 billion in the same period last year. Operating income also saw a significant decline of 65.3%, totaling Yen985 million. While demand increased in the agro-science segment and the coloring materials business within the functional colorants segment, the previously high demand for OLED materials normalized this fiscal quarter, leading to decreased net sales.

The functional colorants business experienced a notable 32.6% decline in sales, totaling Yen5.9 billion, with operating income plunging 99.5% year over year to Yen753 million, down from Yen2.71 billion. This segment is responsible for producing OLED materials, imaging materials, dyes and colors, as well as food additives.

Hodogaya's specialty polymers unit reported a widened operating loss of Yen112 million, up from Yen47 million in the corresponding period last year. Sales in this segment fell by 15.2% year over year to ?1.6 billion. The specialty polymers division produces functional polymers, construction materials, automotive paint additives, and intermediates for pharmaceuticals.

The basic chemicals unit reported sales of Yen1.7 billion, a decrease of 2.3% year over year. However, operating income for this segment rose by 53% to Yen127 million. This sector makes hydrogen peroxide, sodium percarbonate , peracetic acid and industrial chemicals.

Notably, the agro-science segment turned around to report an operating profit of Yen125 million, a significant improvement from an operating loss of Yen1 million in the previous year. Sales in this segment increased by 12% year over year to Yen1.4 billion. The agro-science business focuses on producing agricultural chemical intermediates, pesticide formulations, and microbial materials.

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Vioneo, a subsidiary of AP Moller Holding AS (Copenhagen), has selected ECI Group’s high-pressure technology for a low-density polyethylene (LDPE) plant planned to be built as part of Vioneo’s proposed €1.5 billion green polyolefins project at Antwerp, Belgium, as per Chemweek.

Vioneo awarded a contract to polymer technology licensing and engineering firm ECI for the 110,000 metric tons per year unit, which will use ECI’s proprietary autoclave technology to produce LDPE using ethylene derived from certified renewable methanol, ECI said in a Sept. 2 announcement. The plant will be the first new autoclave LDPE unit to be built in Europe for 40 years, according to ECI. The value of the contract and a project schedule were not given.

In August, Vioneo announced it had selected Lummus Technology’s Novolen technology for a 200,000 metric tons per year polypropylene (PP) plant at the Antwerp complex that will use green propylene as feedstock. In January, Vioneo agreed to license Honeywell International Inc.’s methanol-to-olefins (MTO) technology for the project.

A final investment decision on the fossil-free polyolefins complex is expected before the end of 2025, with startup by 2029, Vioneo stated in April this year in an exclusive interview with CW. The company plans to import 800,000 metric tons per year of green methanol derived from agricultural waste in China, it said.

Repsol (Madrid, Spain) will support ECI as product partner, contributing its technical, operational and commercial expertise gained in the production of LDPE, ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) and ethylene butyl acrylate (EBA) polymers at its facilities in Spain and Portugal, ECI said. ECI and Repsol linked up as technology partners in 2021.

AP Moller announced the project and the launch of Vineo in September 2024. Wood Group PLC is conducting the project’s front-end engineering and design (FEED) study. The complex is planned to be powered wholly by renewable electricity and will be located within Vopak NV’s Energy Park at Antwerp.

If it proceeds, the MTO plant would be the first in Europe and one of only two to be developed outside China, the other being in Uzbekistan.
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Piedmont Lithium Inc. (Belmont, North Carolina) and Sayona Mining Ltd. (Brisbane, Australia) have completed their all-stock merger, forming the largest lithium producer in North America. The deal was first announced in November 2024, as per Chemweek.

In parallel statements released Sept. 1, the two parties confirmed that the merger was completed on Aug. 29, following shareholder approval and the satisfaction of all closing conditions.

As part of the merger, a newly established US subsidiary of Sayona has merged into Piedmont, leading to a 50:50 equity distribution split between the shareholders of each company.

The new entity will be named Elevra Lithium and will retain listings on both the Australian stock exchange and Nasdaq, they said.

According to the companies, the name change is pending approval from the Australian Securities and Investments Commission and is expected to be finalized by the end of September.

The companies plan to raise around $99 million in equity, with Piedmont Lithium proposing a capital raise of about $27 million and Sayona committing to A$40 million (approximately $27 million). Following the transaction, Sayona will seek an additional A$69 million.

Lithium supply chain focus
The timing of the merger aligns with increasing focus on North American lithium supply chain security, as automotive manufacturers and battery producers seek to reduce dependence on imports from other regions while meeting growing demand for electric vehicle batteries and grid-scale energy storage systems.

The merger creates significant operational synergies by combining Sayona’s producing assets in Quebec’s lithium-rich region with Piedmont’s development pipeline. Sayona controls several assets in Quebec, including North American Lithium (NAL) and the Authier and Tansim Lithium Projects, while Piedmont holds a 25% stake in NAL and is developing its Carolina Lithium project in the US.

NAL is North America’s sole producer of lithium spodumene concentrate, capable of producing approximately 220,000 metric tons per year, equivalent to 30,000 metric tons per year of lithium carbonate.

Piedmont Lithium president and CEO Keith Phillips described the merger as “a transformative milestone for our shareholders, employees and partners.” The combination with Sayona “significantly strengthens our global footprint, enhances scale, and positions us to be a leading supplier of lithium resources to the growing EV and stationary storage supply chains,” he said.

Sayona Mining CEO and managing director, Lucas Dow, said the merger “is not just about combining assets — it is about unlocking synergies, strengthening our market position, and delivering long-term value for our shareholders, stakeholders and communities.”

Platts, part of S&P Global Commodity Insights, assessed daily DDP US battery-grade lithium carbonate at $11,050 per metric ton on Aug. 29, stable week over week, reflecting standard battery-grade quality, a minimum of 99.5% Li2CO3, delivery 15-60 days forward.

Platts assessed daily DDP US battery-grade lithium hydroxide at $11,150 per metric ton on Aug. 29, unchanged week over week, reflecting standard battery-grade quality, a minimum of 56.5% LiOH H20, delivery 15-60 days forward and a minimum volume of 5 metric tons.

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India's Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers said the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), acting on behalf of the Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals (DCPC), has extended the export obligation period under the advance authorization scheme for products falling under mandatory quality control orders (QCOs), as per Chemweek.

The new timeframe has been increased from six months to 18 months, providing a substantial buffer for exporters in the sector.

This extension follows a similar adjustment made for QCOs notified by other ministries, including textiles, which also saw the export obligation period extended to 18 months.

This measure is expected to offer essential support and flexibility to exporters in the chemicals and petrochemicals domain across India, simplifying trade processes and enhancing the global market competitiveness of Indian goods.

The advance authorization scheme allows importers to bring in duty-free raw materials for export production without the need to comply with QCOs for those inputs. This ensures a steady flow of export operations, with a significant number of these authorizations benefiting the chemical sector, highlighting the importance of this policy shift.

The ministry said the Indian government is committed to strengthening the chemicals and petrochemicals landscape through targeted strategies, recognizing its crucial role in the country's economic growth. In the fiscal year 2024–25, the sector's export contributions reached $46.4 billion, accounting for 10.6% of the total export value of India, underscoring its critical status in the national economy.

This initiative aims to alleviate financial pressures arising from input costs, ensure the availability of raw materials, and bolster the competitive position of Indian chemical products in the global market.

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