The Future of Phosphoric Acid Production -Why We Have to Leave Trodden Paths

This paper examines the need for innovation in phosphorus fertilizer production. An important area requiring action is the use of sulfuric acid in the wet chemical process (WCP), which is the dominant process in phosphate fertilizer production. About 50 % of the sulfuric acid produced worldwide is used for fertilizers, and ~95 % of the world's fertilizers are based on sulfuric acid. The latter is almost exclusively a by-product of gas and oil production, so the production of conventional P fertilizer is largely dependent on the availability of oil and gas. In addition to rendering P fertilizer production independent of fossil raw materials, energy consumption, CO₂ emissions, phosphogypsum production and water consumption should also be considered. With the example of the PARFORCE process and the Improved Hard Process (IHP), new non-sulfuric acid-based alternatives are discussed with respect to overcoming the drawbacks of the classical WCP by being completely independent of fossil sources, working with renewable energies as the sole energy source, and the option of using seawater instead of fresh water. These new processes adhere to the principles of climate neutrality, zero waste production, low CO₂ footprint, water conservation, renewable energy use, and energy and resource efficiency. This demonstrates what sustainable innovation can look like from a production perspective. The discussion will focus on whether current incentives are sufficient to realize the sustainability innovations discussed.