[Auto] The AdBlue crisis due to lack of urea may affect the transport sector, especially trucks

[[M]anuel]

To comply with anti-pollution regulations, modern diesel engines need an additive made up of urea and water - an aqueous solution. There is a supply crisis that can end up having serious complications for anyone who uses diesel engines in industrial applications.

Those of you who have had a diesel car or van for a few years will have to worry about having enough AdBlue additive -or similar- in a separate tank. This additive is used to neutralize nitrogen oxides in the exhaust and thus pollute less. If the AdBlue runs out, the engine will no longer start again until it is topped up.

For individuals this is not a big problem, sometimes the tank holds from one service to another, and if it runs out, a small bottle is enough to continue circulating. But truck and bus operators have higher consumers of this additive, making a possible shortage highly problematic.

As a result of the pandemic, we have seen several disruptions in the supply of raw materials and finished goods such as masks, bicycles, microchips, video consoles, etc. products such as agricultural fertilizers

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The problem comes from Russia and China
On the one hand we have Russia, the main producer of urea, which uses natural gas as an input. The rise in the price of this resource therefore affects urea production. In fact, in October we told you that the most important European producers stopped manufacturing the additive due to the rise in prices.

On the other hand, we have China, the second largest producer in the world, which has problems limiting the use of coal plants to avoid contamination, so there are energy restrictions. These restrictions have led to massive blackouts. It also affects urea production, so exports have been limited so as not to affect domestic consumption and agriculture.

LINK:   https://www.motor.es/noticias/la-crisis-del-adblue-por-falta-de-urea-podra-afectar-al-sector-del-transporte-sobre-todo-los-camiones-202183340.html