Sulphuric Acid -
NEWS
Updated May 4, 2022
2022
Earthworks start for new 500 000 t/y Kamoa copper smelter
Itafos Announces Resumption of Sulfuric Acid Production and Sales at
Arraias
Elessent Clean Technologies Increases Global MECS® Catalyst Prices
Elessent acquires DuPont’s Clean Technologies business
2020 2021
2019
2018
2017 2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009 2008
2007 2006
2005 2004
2003 2002
2001 2000
1999 1998
Earthworks start for new 500 000 t/y Kamoa copper smelter
May 3, 2022 - In its endeavours
to ramp up copper production and become the
third-largest copper producer, diversified miner Ivanhoe Mines has
started earthworks on a 500 000 t/y direct-to-blister flash smelter at
its Democratic Republic of Congo- (DRC-) based and 39.6%-owned
Kamoa-Kakula copper mining complex.
The smelter – with a nameplate capacity to produce 99%-pure
blister copper – has been sized to process most of
the copper concentrate forecast to be produced by Kamoa-Kakula's Phase
1, Phase 2 and Phase 3 concentrators. The smelter will be built
adjacent to the Phase 1 and 2 concentrator plants and is designed to
use technology supplied by Metso Outotec, meeting the International
Finance Corporation’s emissions standards. In late 2021,
Kamoa Copper awarded engineering company China Nerin Engineering the
basic engineering contract for the planned smelter.
Ivanhoe notes
that Nerin actively promotes the advancement of
smelting technology through its own research and development, and
establishing various partnerships with global industry peers, including
Metso Outotec. Once in operation, the smelter is expected to
enable Kamoa-Kakula to reduce its cash costs per pound of
payable copper produced by about 10% to 20%, driven by significantly
reduced transportation costs, reducing overall volumes shipped by more
than half, as well as more favourable tax treatment, and the recovery
and sale of sulphuric acid as a by-product revenue. Ivanhoe says
there is strong demand and a market for sulphuric acid in the DRC to
recover copper from oxide ores. Copper mines in the region currently
import significant volumes of sulphur used in sulphur-burning acid
plants to produce sulphuric acid for the treatment of oxide copper ores.
The DRC also imports sulphuric acid, primarily from Zambia. The
Phase 3 expansion of Kamoa-Kakula complex is also on track to take the
mine into third place on a global copper production scale, increasing
yearly copper production capacity to about 600 000 t by the fourth
quarter of 2024. Kamoa-Kakula’s Phase 3 will consist of two
new underground mines known as Kamoa 1 and Kamoa 2, as well as the
initial decline development at Kakula West.A
new, five-million-tonne-a-year concentrator plant will be established
adjacent to the two new mines at Kamoa, taking total processing capacity
to more than 14-million tonnes a year. Going forward, the existing
Phase 1 and 2 concentrators will be de-bottlenecked and operating at a
combined throughput of 9.2-million tonnes a year by the second quarter
of 2023, which is expected to increase Kamoa-Kakula’s copper production
to more than 450 000 t/y. Meanwhile, negotiations for an amendment
to Kamoa-Kakula’s offtake arrangements for Phase 2 production are nearly
complete, with copper product currently being shipped under existing,
Phase 1 agreements. Kamoa-Kakula’s Phase 3 expansion will be
powered by hydroelectricity through Kamoa Copper’s Inga II partnership,
which is expected to generate an additional 178 MW of
renewable hydropower for the DRC. Ivanhoe co-chairperson Robert
Friedland says that, along with its joint venture partner Zijin Mining,
Ivanhoe is resolved to expedite future expansion phases at Kamoa-Kakula
to meet rapidly rising copper demand, create profitable growth for
shareholders, and long-lasting economic and social benefits for the
Congolese nation and people.
Itafos Announces Resumption of Sulfuric Acid Production and
Sales at Arraias
February 8, 2022 - Itafos Inc. announced today the resumption of
sulfuric acid production and sales at Arraias. The recommissioning of
the previously idled sulfuric acid plant was completed on schedule,
within budget and with no reportable environmental releases or
recordable incidents. “We are pleased to have safely and
successfully completed the recommissioning of the sulfuric acid plant at
Arraias. While we continue to evaluate strategic alternatives for
Arraias, we are opportunistically restarting the sulfuric acid plant to
supply market demand and deliver positive margins,” said G. David
Delaney, CEO of Itafos. Arraias’ sulfuric acid plant has
production capacity of 220kt per year. The Company expects to operate
the sulfuric acid plant at Arraias with a base load capacity of
approximately 10.5kt per month. Arraias has secured short-term sulfuric
acid offtake agreements for its base load capacity with pricing linked
to sulfur benchmarks. Based on market demand, the Company expects to
opportunistically produce additional volumes of sulfuric acid to be sold
on the spot market. The remainder of the infrastructure associated
with Arraias’ vertically integrated phosphate fertilizer business,
including its mine, beneficiation plant, acidulation plant and
granulation plant remain idled following best practices.
Elessent Clean Technologies Increases Global MECS® Catalyst
Prices
February 4, 2022 - Elessent Clean Technologies has announced an
additional global price increase of $0.30/liter for its MECS ® sulfuric
acid catalyst products. Additional surcharges may apply for freight,
near term delivery and specialty product grades. Subject to the terms of
applicable contracts, the new pricing will take effect immediately.
Elessent acquires DuPont’s Clean
Technologies business
January 1, 2022 - 1 January 2022 marked the beginning for Elessent Clean
Technologies as an international private equity consortium, consisting
of BroadPeak Global LP, Asia Green Fund (AGF) and The Saudi Arabian
Industrial Investments Company (Dussur). The international private
equity consortium also completed its transaction to purchase the Clean
Technologies business of DuPont de Nemours Inc. on 31 December
2021.Elessent Clean Technologies is a global leader in process
technologies to drive sustainability and carbon neutrality in the metal,
fertilizer, chemical and oil refining industries. Elessent retains
exclusive rights to the technologies, expertise, products, and services
including: MECS® sulfuric
acid and environmental technologies, BELCO® scrubbing
technologies, STRATCO® alkylation
technology and IsoTherming® hydroprocessing
technology.“We are excited about what the future holds for us as a
standalone company,” said Elessent CEO, Eli Ben-Shoshan, “The strong
global expertise of the Group will accelerate our mission to deliver the
technology and tailored solutions our customers need to more efficiently
produce cleaner products for the world.”The name ‘Elessent’ is derived
from the words ‘element’ and ‘essential’. From the production of
carbonless energy to the production of sulfuric acid for the metals and
fertilizer industries, and from removal of sulfur from refined oil
products to air pollution control, Elessent creates clean alternatives
to traditional industrial processes to minimise the impact on the
environment while enabling its customers to produce essential elements
critical to everyday life.
