BACKGROUND

Since 2001, through biennial events, IFA and IFDC have been conducting the Nitrogen Fertilizer Technology workshops to share knowledge and exchange information with representatives of the nitrogen fertilizer industry regarding different production technologies. Initially, these workshops were designed for engineers working in the fertilizer industry who have recently assumed new responsibilities, to renew and/or increase their technical knowledge in nitrogen fertilizer production, and for new engineers to become better acquainted with the best available production processes in the industry. In reality, these workshops attracted other socio-professional categories such as C-level executives, senior managers and those involved in areas of marketing, agronomy, environment and research, as well as private sector entrepreneurs investing in the fertilizer industry.

Building on the successes of these workshops and the feedback received from the participants, it was decided to broaden the scope and the audience by adopting the nitrogen fertilizer value chain approach and including all the key nitrogen fertilizer industry players.

The 2017 IFA-IFDC workshop will be held in London, UK, during the week of June 26-30 and is entitled “Nitrogen Fertilizer: Advances in Technology, Products, Safety and Global Impact.”

Nitrogen fertilizers include ammonia, urea, ammonium nitrate, ammonium sulfate and nitrogen solutions. They are an effective means of increasing crop productivity and are used during sowing and as growing season supplements for all crops. Supply of nitrogen fertilizers determines the crop’s growth, vigor, color and yield. According to FAO World Fertilizer Trends and Outlook to 2018, the world nitrogen fertilizer demand increased from 111,400,000 tonnes in 2013 to 113,100,000 tonnes in 2014, at a growth rate of 1.5 percent. It is expected to be around 119,400,000 tonnes in 2018 at an annual growth of 1.4 percent. Nitrogen fertilizers account for some 59 percent of total world consumption of mineral fertilizers.


WHO SHOULD ATTEND

The workshop is primarily designed for all key players in the nitrogen fertilizer value chain:

    • This includes those involved in the technology, agronomy, research and business development, environmental and safety regulations, economics and marketing.
    • Representatives of local and international nitrogen fertilizer companies, executives, senior managers as well as their engineers will benefit from the program.
    • Technical advisors to government policymakers and other public officials who are responsible for fertilizer and agro-minerals exploitation will find the workshop extremely useful.
    • Representatives of organizations supporting the development of fertilizer business such as international development agencies, financial institutions, agricultural research centers and universities will take advantage of the workshop.


OBJECTIVES

The five-day workshop is designed to:

      • Improve participants’ knowledge and understanding of recent advances in the nitrogen fertilizer production technology, products, safety and global impact.
      • Provide key players in the fertilizer industry with an in-depth view of the nitrogen fertilizer value chain and identify future trends and needs.
      • Improve participants’ technical knowledge across a broad range of nitrogen production techniques, including understanding the best available technology options, economic factors impacting the sector, energy use scenarios and the best approaches to safety and environmental management.
      • Enhance the participants’ analytical and trouble-shooting skills in order to better identify and resolve operational inefficiencies of their facilities.
      • Provide an opportunity to exchange ideas on a range of production topics with leading technology experts and workshop participants.
      • Network with peers from all over the world.


Workshop Content

The program will cover various topics including, but not limited to:

Nitrogen Fertilizer Industry Economics

    • Market Outlook for supply & demand.
    • A global overview of the nitrogen fertilizer industry.
    • Fertilizer Feedstocks

Nitrogen Production Technology

    • Changes, challenges, and opportunities in nitrogen fertilizer-manufacturing processes.
    • Converting nitrogen oxide (NOx) to fertilizer.
    • Ammonia production alternative technologies.
    • Opportunities for small-scale ammonia production: technical and economical parameters for ammonia production.
    • Nitrogen fertilizer production:
        Nitric Acid.
        Ammonium Nitrate.
        Calcium Ammonium Nitrate.
        Ammonium Nitrate-Sulfate.
        Urea.
        Ammonium Sulfate.
    • Energy use scenarios in nitrogen fertilizer production.

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