DAP and MAP: Feedstocks

Rock, sulphur and ammonia: three bills in one bag

What this tab covers What it is made from and what it feeds: the raw materials and energy per tonne with their share of cost (linked to the commodity table), who is low-cost and why, and the chemicals made from it.

A tonne of DAP needs about 1.7 t of phosphate rock, 0.4 t of sulphur and 0.22 t of ammonia. Rock gives the phosphorus, sulphur makes the acid, and ammonia supplies the nitrogen. Producers who own rock and buy sulphur and ammonia cheaply win; non-integrated granulators, like many in India, pay world prices for all three.

Inputs per tonne

Input	Quantity per tonne	Role	Share of cost	Source
P Phosphate rock	about 1.7 t per t DAP	phosphorus source	about 35-40% of raw material cost at September 2026 prices (indicative)	phosphate tile; World Bank rock $170/t (Sep 2026)
S Sulfur	about 0.4 t per t DAP	makes sulphuric acid to dissolve the rock	about 35-40% at Q3 2026 Tampa sulphur of $705/long t (indicative)	sulphur tile (Tampa contract Q3 2026); stoichiometry
Gas Natural gas	about 0.22 t NH3 per t DAP; 0.13 t per t MAP	nitrogen and neutralising base	about 15-20% (indicative, basis: US Gulf ammonia $450/short t average in 2025, USGS)	USGS MCS 2026, Nitrogen; stoichiometry
Energy for drying and granulation	small; sulphur burning exports surplus steam	drying, acid concentration	under 5% (indicative)	indicative

Who is low-cost, and why

Morocco (OCP) and Saudi Arabia (Ma'aden) sit at the bottom with captive rock and low-cost sulphur and ammonia. US producers are mid-curve on rock costs of about $56-80/t. Non-integrated Indian and Brazilian plants buying acid, sulphur and ammonia sit at the top and cut output when sulphur spikes (CRU, 2025).

Raw materials on the commodity table

P Phosphate rock S Sulfur Gas Natural gas

What it is made into

Product	Note
H3PO4 Phosphoric acid	the intermediate from which DAP and MAP are made
CAM Battery cathode materials	technical MAP and purified acid feed some LFP routes