By-product trends--Strong market fundamentals support a tight sulphuric acid market: demand strong while producers operating below capacity

摘要

Acid market tightness is expected to continue in Europe for the foreseeable future, as a result of strong demand coupled with a number of disruptions to supply and scheduled maintenance turnarounds. In Germany, the acid spilt into the Rhine from the capsized barge on 13th January led to weeks of disruption as river traffic was halted until early February, by which time a large backlog of vessels had built up, severely hampering acid deliveries for most of February.