Shell and Sandvik have successfully granulated urea + elemental sulphur fertiliser produced with Shell Urea-ES technology, using Sandvik’s Rotoform granulation system.
Building on years of joint experience in the field of sulphur granulation, Sandvik and Shell joined forces and successfully demonstrated the integration of the Shell Thiogro Urea-ES technology and Sandvik Rotoform equipment during a series of continuous plant trials at Sandvik’s productivity centre in Fellbach (Germany). Shell’s unique technology and the versatility of the Sandvik equipment enabled the production of Shell Urea-ES granules containing up to 70% of finely dispersed elemental sulphur in a urea matrix.
In the Sandvik Rotoform System, the homogeneous Shell Urea-ES emulsion is fed to the unit and deposited in the form of drops (diameter of 2-4 mm) across a steel belt cooler. Water is sprayed against the underside of the solid steel belt (ensuring no cross contamination either to product or to water. As the product moves along the steel belt, the liquid droplets are converted into solid pastilles. The final solid product is collected at the end of the belt and sent to the downstream handling system (conveying, storage silo, bagging, etc.).
“We are pleased to collaborate with Sandvik to granulate our new Shell Urea-ES technology products on their robust Rotoform equipment. With this success, more and more fertiliser producers can granulate our urea + elemental sulphur fertiliser to potentially unlock better crop yields and improve soil health,” said Michael Lumley, Vice President of Shell Sulphur Solutions.
Shell has collaborated with key players in granulation technologies in order to develop solutions for owners of small to medium-sized granulation plants and believes Sandvik’s standalone Rotoform granulation equipment provides a fully fit for purpose system to undertake product diversification at fertiliser production sites.
“We believe specialty fertilisers are the future, as they promise not only a win-win situation for both farmers and fertiliser producers, but also contribute to a better environment through effective fertiliser applications. Sandvik offers versatile Rotoform system to manage various formulations. Our collaboration with Shell for the Urea Elemental Sulphur has been a rewarding partnership,” said Johan Sjögren, Managing Director of Sandvik Process Systems.
One standard Rotoform High Speed unit can produce up to 150 MTPD of Shell Urea-ES granules, perfect for customers looking for diversification to speciality fertilisers, yet more lines can be easily installed in parallel to multiply the capacity.
To support industrial deployment, Sandvik and Shell are finalising their combined design to support installation in greenfield and brownfield projects, which will allow current and new Rotoform owners to expand their product portfolio by enabling the production of Shell Urea-ES fertiliser.