 Fertilizer
production capacities, 1974 and 2001
-
97% of nitrogen fertilizers are derived from ammonia.
-
70% of phosphate fertilizers are derived from phosphoric
acid.
During the past 30 years a very large proportion of
additional production has been of phosphoric acid based
fertilizers.
-
Potash is used as such.
In consequence, these three materials, ammonia, phosphoric acid
and potash, give a very good picture of the progression of the
fertilizer industry.
 Ammonia
The energy required for nitrogen fertilizer production is fairly
evenly distributed around the planet, although there has been a
trend towards production in locations where cheap natural gas is
available. There has also been a trend towards the production of
nitrogen fertilizers in high-demand developing countries. The
location of nitrogen production in developing countries
therefore reflects partly the relocation nearer to sources of
low-cost gas, as in the Near East and the Caribbean, but also
towards the main consuming regions, such as South Asia and
China. In future, it is these regions that the new capacities
will be realized.
In 1974 the developing countries accounted for
27%
of ammonia capacity. By 1998 their share had increased to
51%. West Europe's share fell from
13%
in 1988 to 9%
in 2000.
 Phosphoric
acid
Phosphoric acid is obtained by reaction between phosphate rock
and an acid, mostly sulphuric acid. Over the past two decades
there has been a distinct trend towards the processing of
phosphate rock in countries with substantial natural resources
of this material, especially in North Africa and the U.S.A., but
also in the Middle East, South and West Africa and China. This
trend is expected to continue. In West Europe phosphoric acid
capacity and output have fallen by
52%
since 1988.
The main producers of phosphate rock and phosphate fertilizers
are the USA, the former USSR, China, Africa -the Maghreb
countries, Egypt, Senegal, Togo and South Africa, and the Middle
East. Several of these countries are developing countries and
the phosphate industry makes an important contribution to their
economies.
 Potash
Potash is produced in the few countries where the ores are
located. The FSU (Russia and Belarus) account for about
33%
of the world's production capacity, North America, mostly Canada
for 40%,
West Europe for 17%
and Israel and Jordan for
8%, these few regions thus accounting for a
total of 98%
of world capacities.
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