**ICE Futures Green-Lights Fertecon Ammonia Benchmarks for New Derivatives Settlement**

Intercontinental Exchange has officially tapped Platts Fertecon's ammonia price assessments to anchor a brand-new futures contract launching December 11, 2023. This marks a significant expansion of ICE's reliance on S&P Global Commodity Insights' benchmarking prowess—the exchange now settles over 750 derivatives contracts against these price standards.

**What Makes Fertecon the Right Choice for Ammonia Futures?**

The decision centers on the Platts Fertecon weekly anhydrous ammonia pricing model (82% nitrogen content, stored as pressurized liquid at -33°Celsius). Specifically, ICE selected the cost and freight delivery basis to Northwest Europe—a critical hub for both fertilizer production and clean hydrogen transport infrastructure. The new contracts will settle against duty-paid or duty-free delivery quotations, giving traders a transparent, liquid reference point.

Why ammonia? Beyond its role as a fertilizer backbone for global food security, ammonia has emerged as a frontline vector for transporting low-carbon hydrogen across geographies. Northwest Europe and Far East Asia represent key import destinations where hydrogen infrastructure development hinges on reliable price signals.

**Fertecon's 50-Year Track Record Speaks Volumes**

S&P Global Commodity Insights highlighted that Fertecon has anchored fertilizer benchmarks for half a century, while Platts price assessments have served as industry standards for over 100 years. This heritage of transparency and methodology rigor convinced ICE to broaden its derivatives suite. "We welcome ICE's confidence in our price discovery processes," noted Robert Beaman, head of fertilizer pricing at S&P Global Commodity Insights.

**Beyond Ammonia: Three Additional Spread Derivatives**

The exchange didn't stop at ammonia. ICE is simultaneously launching three fuel oil spread derivatives grounded in Platts differential assessments:
- Fuel Oil 380 CST spreads (Arab Gulf versus Singapore)
- MHS Fuel Oil Crack spreads (Middle East Fuel Oil 380 CST versus Brent crude)
- MHT Fuel Oil Crack spreads (Middle East Fuel Oil 180 CST versus Brent crude)

All licensing arrangements ensure that Platts and Fertecon methodologies remain transparent, with full documentation available for market participants seeking granular insight into the underlying price construction.