Due to export restrictions in China, a key supplier of urea water, urea water required for diesel engine vehicles such as cargo and forklifts is sold out. The price of urea has doubled compared to before, and many people working in freight transport are worried about not consuming it because it is an essential commodity, like oil, needed for diesel trucks.
We looked into the number of elements that could lead to a logistics disaster if we are not careful.
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Timing of urea injection
What is the number of elements?
Urea is Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) and is a nitrogen oxide reducing agent required for the operation of SCR, an exhaust gas post-processing device in diesel internal combustion engines.
Diesel vehicles produce a large amount of air pollutants compared to gasoline vehicles, so they are required to be equipped with a selective catalytic reduction device (SCR) to protect the environment.
What is needed for this SCR to work is the number of elements. This urea water is needed to purify nitrogen oxides, which are exhaust fumes.
It is an essential material because if urea water falls from the vehicle, the power output may drop and the exhaust gas filtering device and injection device may be damaged.
What is the number of elements?
Recently, due to the trade dispute between China and Australia, the price of coal has soared more than three times, and China is restricting urea shipments, leading to an increasing number of chemical companies stopping urea production. As coal became scarce in China, urea production also decreased.
Because of this, the supply of domestically produced urea water has decreased, so the price has doubled compared to July 2021, and some online stores are limiting the purchase quantity to one per person.
It is said that if the supply of this urea water becomes insufficient, it could have a negative impact not only on diesel vehicles but also on the entire industry, including plants that emit nitrogen oxides such as power plants, incinerators, and steel mills, and could even lead to a logistics crisis.
Considering that China is the largest importer of urea, with 66.1% of domestic urea imports coming from China and 13.8% from Indonesia, it appears that China’s restrictive policy is taking a big hit.
It is said that if diesel trucks stop, there is a risk of an economic loss of 112 billion won. If it worsens, an economic loss of 336 billion won per day is expected.
Timing of urea injection
So, when is this urea solution injected and are truck workers worried about purchasing urea solution?
If the number of elements becomes insufficient, a warning light indicating that the number of elements is insufficient appears on the vehicle dashboard. Typically, urea water charging is required after driving 3,500 km.
It consumes 0.04 liters of urea per 1 liter of diesel, and about 10 liters of urea is needed per 300 to 400 km.
Considering that one can of urea water sold on the market is usually 10L, those working in the logistics or cargo-related transportation industry must travel about 300km quickly, so any shortage would likely cause a major setback in their business.
Use 10L of urea water per 300~400 km. If the instrument panel displays a notification to replenish urea water, replenish it immediately.
Check where the cargo driver welfare card is used, how to apply, type, and value-added tax.
element price
The unit price of industrial Oso imported from China was 276.1 won in October 2020 last year.
Then, as China’s trade regulations gradually strengthened, the price of urea imports doubled compared to last year, from 374 won in June 2021 to the current 481.9 won.
The price of 10L of urea water sold on the market was 7,900 won around October 2020 last year.
Timing of urea injection
As of October 2021, a year later, I checked the price on Danawa and found that although the price had jumped to 13,980 won per 10L, it was temporarily sold out and I was unable to purchase it.
Korea’s urea water includes Lotte Fine Chemical’s Eurox, Hyundai Mobis, Geumseong NC’s Ed Blue Premium urea water, Aone Chemical’s Utoclean urea water, Aqu Chemical’s Euro 7 urea water, Aton Industry Anox, and Hyundai Oilbank Pronox urea water. It’s representative. It seems that everything is sold out or the price has doubled compared to last year, so I can feel the crisis.
How to inject urea water
To self-inject urea water, you will need a bottle of urea water and an injection nozzle.
Insert the thick part of the nozzle into the inlet of the urea water plastic bottle, and insert the thin part into the inlet of the urea solution and then inject.
At this time, be careful not to confuse it with the gas filler. It should be injected with the pore facing upward.
If the pores go down, the urea water may get on the car body and white urea crystals may form on the car, so be careful.
How to inject urea water
Expiration date of urea water?
Due to this urea count crisis, some people may be purchasing urea numbers in advance.
There may be some people who are worried that urea water has an expiration date, so they plan to use it later, but the expiration date has passed and they cannot be used.
Although the number of elements may vary depending on the product, it is generally recommended to use it within 2 years.
Also, the expiration date of urea water varies slightly depending on the storage temperature.
Urea expiration date
It is said to be effective for about 36 months if kept at a temperature between 10 degrees and -5 degrees at room temperature. Of course, there are differences between products, so you should read the product manual carefully.
Depending on storage conditions, there may be an ammonia smell when opened. There will be no problem with use, but if the smell is so strong that it is difficult to use, it is recommended to return it to the place of purchase.
In the case of urea water that is old and exposed to high temperatures, ammonia may evaporate and the concentration may drop. Then, it is difficult to use the SCR function, so it is best to refrain from using it.
Above, we looked at urea injection method, price, injection time, and replacement time. For those who use urea water not only in cargo vehicles but also in vehicles such as Volkswagen, Benz, Palisade, BMW, Carnival, Audi, and Tiguan, it would be a good idea to purchase urea water in advance.