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According to Sinochem New Network, against the backdrop of sharp increases in the prices of sulfur and sulfuric acid, the nitric acid phosphate fertilizer production process developed by Lu’an Chemical Tianji Group (hereinafter referred to as Tianji Group) offers a new path for the industry to overcome these challenges. Since the beginning of this year, domestic sulfur prices have risen sharply. Data shows that from the beginning of 2026 to the end of March, domestic spot prices for sulfur rose from 3,600 yuan per ton to 6,090 yuan, an increase of over 69%; the year-on-year increase was even as high as 136%. As a key raw material in phosphate fertilizer production, the sharp rise in sulfur prices has directly increased production costs; its cost proportion in the production of diammonium phosphate has risen from 32% to 55%~60%. Taking diammonium phosphate as an example, the current production cost is generally between 4,700 and 4,900 yuan, while Chinese phosphate fertilizer manufacturers maintain their prices at 4,150 to 4,250 yuan in line with market-guided prices; as a result, these companies incur a net loss of over 500 yuan per ton. In addition, phosphorus fertilizer-related products such as monoammonium phosphate and sulfur-based compound fertilizers are also facing cost pressures simultaneously. Industry experts point out that reliance on sulfur imports has become a critical bottleneck for China’s fertilizer industry. Meanwhile, the challenge of dealing with phosphogypsum generated in the traditional phosphate fertilizer production process has also become a bottleneck restricting the green development of the industry. Faced with these challenges, domestic phosphate fertilizer companies are actively seeking ways to break through. The frozen-process phosphoric acid fertilizer technology developed by Tianji Group holds the potential to resolve the dual constraints of sulfur dependence and phosphogypsum at their root. This process is centered on the decomposition of phosphate rock using nitric acid, and no sulfur or sulfuric acid is used as raw materials throughout the process, thereby preventing phosphatic fertilizer production from being directly affected by fluctuations in international sulfur prices. Leveraging China’s abundant coal resources, this process enables the independent synthesis of nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus, ensuring long-term stability in industrial production and cost control; it holds significant strategic importance for safeguarding **agricultural and resource security**. Unlike phosphogypsum produced by traditional processes, this method involves the use of freezing separation technology to isolate calcium in the form of calcium nitrate crystals after decomposing phosphate rock; the by-product can then be further processed into fully water-soluble calcium ammonium nitrate fertilizer, thereby enabling the full utilization of the resources. At the same time, this process can make effective use of low-grade phosphate rocks, with a phosphorus recovery rate of over 98%; it prevents the waste of high-quality phosphate rock resources and eliminates the concern of phosphogypsum discharge. It is worth noting that the nitric acid phosphate fertilizers produced by Tianji Group also possess unique advantages in terms of fertilizer efficacy. The process involves the decomposition of phosphate rock using nitric acid; it is rich in medium and trace elements, as well as activated rare earth nitrates known as \"nutritional gold.\" This enhances the stress resistance of crops to diseases, cold, and drought, improves their quality, increases yields, and reduces the occurrence of diseases. To date, the phosphoric acid fertilizer production facilities have contributed over 35 million tons of fertilizers to agricultural production. (Wang Aijun)