SPIC - Tuticorin

Acid Plant Database June 13, 2025

Owner	Greenstar Fertilizers Ltd.
Location	Tuticorin Tamil Nadu India
Background	Southern Petrochemical Industries Corporation (SPIC) www.spic.in Greenstar has acquired the phosphatics manufacturing assets of SPIC
Website	www.greenstarfertilizers.com
Plant	-
Coordinates*	8° 44' 26" N, 78° 8' 21" E
Type of Plant	Sulphur Burning	Sulphur Burning
Gas Source	Elemental Sulphur	Elemental Sulphur
Plant Capacity	1975: 470 MTPD 1994: 600 MTPD - SA to DA 2000: 750 MTPD - Booster blower added 2011: 1000 MTPD	2500 MTPD
SA/DA	Originally single absorption 1994 - Retrofitted to DA	3/1 DA
Emissions	-
Status	Operating	Engineering
Year Built	1975
Technology	-	Chemetics (Basic Engineer, Detail Engineering, Proprietary Equipment)
Contractor	-
Remarks	Acid Plant Power Generation: 6 MW (2011)
Pictures
General	Other Production - Ammonia: 1100 MTPD - Urea: 1600 MTPD - Phosphoric Acid: 165 MTPD - Di-ammonium Phosphate: 1350 MTPD - Aluminum Fluoride: 8 MTPD Power Production: 24 MW combined capacity SPIC commissioned its first sulphuric acid plant in 1975. It had a capacity of 470 MTPD with a Single Contact Single Absorption process. In 1994, the plant was converted to a Double Contact Double Absorption process with a capacity of 600 MTPD. The technology upgrade helped to increase production and to meet the Pollution Control Board's emission standards. To further meet captive consumption needs, a booster blower was installed in the year 2000. This helped to increase production by another 150 MT. In the same year, a steam turbo generator of 6 MW was commissioned to convert steam into power. With allied plants enhancing production, it increased the need for sulphuric acid, which was being procured externally. To increase our share in captive consumption, SPIC’s engineering team has been making several efforts since 2011. We have successfully enhanced production from 600 MTPD to 1,000 MTPD. Some of the major improvements are: - replacement of improved catalyst in all converter beds - IAT & FAT acid distributors with improved MOC and increase in the packing size to bring down the pressure drop - Pressure drop reduction in the furnace, additional air nozzles in the furnace, removal of unwanted dampers and bellows - installation of new higher size super-heater, and upgradation of ducts MOC The production enhancement has helped to substantially reduce costs and dependency while increasing power generation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXbzB2c8Poo&t=1s
References	“Life Extension of a Vintage Plant Through Reliability Improvement Systems”, IFA Technical Conference, Chennai, India, September 24-27, 2002.
News	June 13, 2025 - Chemetics has announced its continued contribution to India's industrial growth with the award of a new contract from Greenstar Fertilizers Ltd. This marks the fourth greenfield sulfur-burning sulfuric acid plant the company has supported in India over the past five years. Under the contract, Worley Chemetics will deliver basic and detailed engineering, critical plant equipment, and a low-pressure heat recovery system for a new 2500 tpd sulfur-burning sulfuric acid facility. The commercial-grade sulfuric acid produced at this site will support fertilizer production. “We are proud to partner with Greenstar Fertilizers to bring our advanced technology and expertise to this significant project. Worley Chemetics proven solutions are designed to deliver operational efficiency, safety, and long-term value.” The project will incorporate Worley Chemetics’ proprietary ALPHA^® heat recovery system, along with advanced process equipment including: - Radial flow gas exchangers - Anodically protected strong acid circuit coolers - Radial flow converter - ISO FLOW SWIFT-LOCK™ trough distributors - Anodically protected strong acid piping SARAMET^® HT alloy materials used in the ALPHA® system’s equipment, piping, and ducting. This milestone reflects Worley Chemetics’ ongoing commitment to supporting sustainable industrial development through innovative, high-performance technologies. October 22, 2011 - The cash-strapped, debt-burdened Southern Petrochemicals Industries Corporation (Spic) will soon enter into an agreement with Greenstar Fertilizers to sell its phosphatics business, including that of sulphuric acid, phosphoric acid, DAP, NPK, single super phosphate and aluminium fluoride units, situated at Tuticorin district of Tamil Nadu, for an undisclosed sum. Interestingly, Spic group company, Sicagen India, is said to have invested R50 crore into Greenstar Fertilizers for 11% non-convertible redeemable cumulative preference share of R100 each, sources pointed out. Greenstar was incorporated in August 2010 with an aim to distribute imported fertilisers, micro nutrients apart from entering into manufacturing of fertilisers and allied products. It is learnt that Greenstar has offices in Noida and Chennai. Promoters of Spic, including AC Muthiah, Ashwin Muthiah and Sidd Lifesciences (run by Ashwin Muthiah) together hold 48% in Sicagen India. Asset Reconstruction Company of India (Arcil), the debt aggregator, which took over the estimated R3,000 crore debt portion of Spic a few years ago, has been involved in selling non-core businesses, stakes in JVs, bad assets and real estates of Spic to retire the high-cost debt and the decision to sell the phosphatics business is considered to be one such move by Spic. It is believed that Spic is expected to raise not less than R300 crore out of this sale, sources said. Sicagen India is country’s leading provider of trading and marketing services for construction-related industrial and retail infrastructure. A committee, set up to dispose the phosphatics business, has approved the sale of the same at its meeting recently. The phosphatics assets are being sold not only to bring down the company’s huge liabilities, but also to bring back its urea plant back to health, wherein Spic used to be the market leader in the southern markets for many years, sources said. The urea plant, also situated in Tuticorin, was revived in September 2010 after over three years of closure. Spic has ensured that the business does not goes out of its hand and picked Greenstar as the suitor. According to the sources, Spic also decided to sell its pharma business in Cuddalore, which makes pencillin-g sometime back, but met with huge protest from workers and the proposal is still pending with ARCIL. ARCIL is said to have cleared one-third of the debt portion by selling assets of Spic over the last two years or so. September 16, 2011 - Cash-strapped Southern Petrochemicals Industries Corporation (Spic) plans to sell its phosphatic (including sulphuric acid, phosphoric acid, DAP, NPK, single super phosphate and aluminium fluoride) business situated at Tuticorin, together with the business undertaking, for a consideration of not less than R300 crore to bring down its liabilities of R3,000 crore. Interestingly, the plant was revived only in October last year after three years of closure owing of huge debt and lack of working capital, among other issues. Asset Reconstruction Company of India (ARCIL) (debt aggregator) has decided to sell the Tuticorin plant business also to raise funds to bring down the overall liability. ACRIL took over the entire debt portion of Spic a few years ago and has been involved in selling several Spic properties, including real estate properties in TN, Mumbai and other places, non-core businesses and its stake in JVs including Spic Jordan. Sidd Lifesciences, promoted by Spic chairman AC Muthiah’s son Ashwin Muthiah, is learnt to have been involved in the deal, thereby ensuring that the core business — Tuticorin fertiliser plant — does not slip out of promoters’ hand and at the same time ARCIL could raise funds to retire the huge debt. Sidd Lifesciences had also bought out majority shares of one of the group company Manali Petrochemicals recently to partly retire the debt owned by Spic. According to sources, Spic also decided to sell its pharma business in Cuddalore, but met with a huge protest from workers and the proposal is still pending with ARCIL. ARCIL is also said to have cleared one-third of the debt portion by selling assets of Spic over the last two years. September 15, 2011 - Southern Petrochemicals Industries Corporation Limited has informed the Exchange that as part of the financial restructuring of the Company the Board of Directors at its meeting held on September 14, 2011 approved the proposal for the sale of the Phosphatic (including Sulphuric Acid, Phosphoric Acid, DAP, NPK, Single Super Phosphate and Aluminium Fluoride) Business of the Company situated at Tuticorin, together with the Business Undertaking, for a consideration of not less than Rs 300 crores, (which price may be adjusted against any secured liabilities that may be transferred along with the Business Undertaking) on the terms and conditions and in the manner as deemed fit by the Board. The above proposal will be subject to the approval of the shareholders by postal ballot and other necessary approvals. February 2, 2010 - In a bid to bring in funds to restart the closed fertiliser plant of SPIC, Asset Reconstruction Company of India (ARCIL) — the country's debt aggregator of beleaguered assets — has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to sell the 52.5% stake in Indo-Jordan Chemicals Company (IJCC), a subsidiary of Spic for around Rs 350 crore. According to sources, the joint venture partner — Jordan Phospates Mines Company — exercised its first right of refusal and bought back the stake held by SPIC, now sold by the debt aggregator ARCIL. Repeated attempts to reach ARCIL and A C Muthiah, the chairman of SPIC, turned futile. The sources said that the money raised from this exercise would be utilised towards restarting the fertiliser plant in Thoothukudi, in south Tamil Nadu. It is learnt that A C Muthiah-led SPIC had mandated investment banker Rabo Bank to find a suitor for the stake in IJCC and was expecting Rs 400 crore to Rs 500 crore from the sale. SPIC had invested around Rs 165 crore as equity in the Jordanian venture, which mines rock phosphate and produces phosphoric acid. The $170 million Indo-Jordan Chemicals Company is a joint venture between SPIC, JPMC and the Arab Investment Company (TAIC). IJCC plant produces 700 tonnes per day (tpd) of phosphoric acid and 2000 tpd of sulphuric acid. The company also has a storage terminal at the Red Sea Port of Aqaba in Jordan. ARCIL has undertaken a massive clean up of the finances at SPIC. It has sought the auctioning of SPIC's fifteen properties to raise funds. SPIC owes its creditors close to Rs 2,900 crore.

MTPD - Metric Tonne per Day STPD - Short Ton per Day
MTPA - Metric Tonne per Annum STPA - Short Ton per Annum
SA - Single Absorption
DA - Double Absorption

* Coordinates can be used to locate plant on Google Earth


Sulphuric Acid on the Web^TM	Technical Manual	DKL Engineering, Inc.