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| Sulphuric Acid on the WebTM | Technical Manual | DKL Engineering, Inc. |
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Knowledge for the
Sulphuric Acid Industry Introduction |
2010 Vale reaches tentative deal to end bitter mining strike (July 4, 2010) Befesa completes the
financing for its new desulphurisation plant in the Port of Bilbao June 21, 2010 -
Befesa, through its subsidiary Befesa Valorización de Azufre, S.L.U. (formerly Acoleq
Químicos S.L.U.), has completed the non-recourse financing to construct and operate a new
plant producing sulphuric acid from waste sulphur in the Port of Bilbao. The project, which will require an investment of
€70 million, will be partly financed by a syndicate of banks comprising Banco Pastor,
Cajasol, Banesto, Caja Rural de Navarra, Ipar Kutxa and Bankoa. Befesa will also invest
capital from the sale of the land where its existing desulphurisation plant is currently
located, which was sold in 2008 as part of the Sefanitro Interior Reform Special Plan of
the municipality of Baracaldo (Vizcaya). It is worth noting that the project also has a
€2.0 million loan from the Spanish Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Trade. The new plant, which will be located in the
Autonomous Port of Bilbao in the municipality of Zierbena (Vizcaya), will focus on
producing sulphuric acid and oleum from sulphur and desulphurisation waste, and will
include electricity cogeneration. The plant, which will have the capacity to treat 120,000
tonnes of sulphur and produce 350,000 tonnes of sulphuric acid and oleum, will also
generate approximately 90,000 megawatts of electricity per annum. The process of producing sulphuric acid and oleum
from waste sulphur recovered from plants in the petrochemicals sector helps to manage the
environmental impact from oil companies by using a cleaner and safer process. The new
plant is expected to be operational in the last three months of 2011. Javier Molina, Chairman of Befesa, said “this
operation demonstrates Befesa’s capacity and strength to finance and develop
important infrastructures and projects focused on sustainable development using the best
available technologies, which makes us a global leader in the recycling and management of
industrial waste”. Outotec complements its sulfuric acid production technologies by acquisition of Edmeston AB
Outotec has acquired all shares in Edmeston AB, a Swedish company specializing in sulfuric acid production equipment and systems. The transaction is subject to completion of confirmatory due diligence, and it is expected to be closed in May. The parties agreed not to disclose the transaction price. Outotec is the leading supplier of advanced sulfuric acid plants for the metallurgical and chemical industries. Outotec's technology is used for example in fertilizer production. The company has delivered over 600 sulfuric acid plants globally. Edmeston AB is a Gothenburg Sweden based company specializing in engineering and supply of process equipment used primarily in sulfuric acid plants. Edmeston has unique know-how of special stainless steel grades suitable for use in highly corrosive environment. Edmeston's annual revenues are approximately EUR 10 million, and it employs around a dozen professionals. "The acquisition of Edmeston strengthens Outotec's position as the leading provider of sulfuric acid production technology. Edmeston complements our offerings to the sulfuric acid plant operators enabling us to raise our service level in particular in equipment refurbishments and upgrades," says Pertti Korhonen, President and CEO of Outotec.
May 18, 2010 - Finnish mining and metal manufacturing equipment provider Outotec has announced that it has finalized the acquisition of Edmeston AB, a Swedish company specialized in engineering and supply of process equipment used primarily in sulfuric acid plants, after successful completion of the confirmatory due diligence. SteelOrbis announced Outotec's acquisition of all shares in Edmeston AB on April 29, 2010, which was subject to completion of due dilligence. Edmeston has unique know-how of special stainless steel grades suitable for use in highly corrosive environments. Edmeston's annual revenues are approximately €10 million, and it employs around a dozen professionals Freeport to begin construction of sulphur plantApril 25, 2010 - After a 16-month delay, Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold will move ahead with construction of a sulphur-burning plant at the Dos Pobres copper mine at Safford. The sulphur burner will produce sulfuric acid, which is required in copper recovery from raw ore. While the sulphur burner is expected to require few new permanent employees, about 250 construction employees will work on the project at its peak, according to Freeport spokesman Richard Peterson. He did not specify how long the project’s “peak” period will be. The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality approved revisions of Freeport’s air quality permit in the fall of 2008 to allow construction of the sulphur burner. Freeport shelved the project in December 2008 in response to declining economic conditions in the copper industry and the United States economy as a whole. The project is expected to cost approximately $150 million. Completion of the “highly automated plant” is expected in about a year, Peterson said in an e-mail response to questions from the Courier. “The plant will burn elemental sulphur that will be brought by railcar to a transfer facility that will be built southeast of Fort Thomas. Sulphur will be transferred from the railcars to trucks for transportation to the sulphur burning plant,” Peterson said. Although there will be an average of 18 trucks a day, the transport plan is expected to reduce overall track traffic on Highway 70 because every truck of elemental sulphur will replace two trucks of acid, according to Peterson. He also said the plant will have a capacity of approximately 465,000 tons of sulfuric acid per year. Waste heat from the sulphur burner will be used to produce 15 megawatts of electric power.This is 10 more than needed to operate the acid plant. The remainder will be used to support part of the electricity demand from the Safford mine. ICIS acquires benchmark sulphur
market publications April 12, 2010 - ICIS has announced its acquisition of a portfolio
of benchmark sulphur and sulphuric acid market publications and services from
PentaSul Inc. April 1, 2010 - The Japan Bank for
International Cooperation (JBIC; President & CEO: Hiroshi Watanabe) signed on March 31
a loan agreement totaling up to 133,245 thousand US dollars with SKZ-U Limited Liability
Partnership (SKZ-U) in the Republic of Kazakhstan. The loan is co-financed with
Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (agent bank) and Mizuho Corporate Bank, Ltd., with
JBIC providing a partial guarantee for the co-financed portion. SKZ-U is a
joint-venture company which Marubeni Corporation (Marubeni), the Tokyo Electric Power
Company, Incorporated (TEPCO) and Toshiba Corporation (Toshiba) have set up jointly with
National Atomic Company “Kazatomprom” Joint Stock Company, a state-owned atomic
energy company in the Republic of Kazakhstan, and others. The proceeds of the loan
will be used by SKZ-U to construct a sulphuric acid production plant in Kzyl-Orda,
southern Kazakhstan. Sulphuric acid is an essential agent for the uranium
mining process. Sulphuric acid generated by this project will be mostly supplied to
the Kharassan project, a uranium development project being undertaken in Kazakhstan by
Japanese firms including Marubeni, TEPCO and Toshiba, jointly with Kazatomprom. This
loan will support a supply of sulphuric acid which is essential for Japanese firms'
uranium production project in Kazakhstan, thereby ensuring the long-term, stable operation
of the project and consequently contributing to the securing of natural uranium resources
for Japan. Kazakhstan is endowed with the world's second largest proven uranium
reserves and Kazatomprom is the fourth largest natural uranium producer in the world.
Amid rising interest in measures against global warming, countries around the world
including emerging economies are drawing up programs to either restore or newly introduce
nuclear power generation. Against this backdrop, demand for uranium relative to
supply is projected to become tight over the coming years, placing Kazakhstan in an ever
important position as a resource supplier. The government of Japan signed an
Agreement with Kazakhstan for cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy on March
2 this year as part of efforts to strengthen bilateral ties with the country. JBIC
is also striving to secure a stable uranium supply by supporting multiple uranium deposit
development projects implemented by Japanese firms in Kazakhstan. As Japan's
official financing institution, JBIC will continue to help cement ties with Kazakhstan,
one of the most important resource suppliers in Central Asia, and to support Japanese
firms' efforts to develop and acquire interest in significant resources in the country by
mobilizing a variety of financial schemes and risk-taking functions. Sulphuric acid prices held down by excess
supply April 7, 2010 - Purchasing of sulphuric acid has undergone a "dramatic turnaround" so far this year, according to CRU International, which says "rising demand is evident from the industrial sector, the phosphate fertilizer industry and copper leaching operations." However, inventories still are well in excess of renewed demand. So, near-term prices should stay around the $144/ton average of the first quarter and not approach the $200/ton average of 2009, according to the CRU report presented at this week's World Copper Conference in Santiago, Chile. While there is some tightness in the U.S. acid market, ICISpricing.com says production rates were slightly improved from a month ago. So, there is quite some debate whether spot prices will rise in the second quarter back to $150-$200, as sought by producers. Another issue is that phosphate fertilizer prices have begun to weaken, "undermining sentiment in the sulphuric acid market," says CRU. "It is too early to say whether the price boom-that brought U.S. market prices up from an average $107/ton in October and November-has come to an end, but market activity is very thin and there are growing indications that further increases may not be sustainable." The analysis suggests that supply of sulphuric acid is forecast to remain tight. So, drop in prices is unlikely for the next few months. However, the peak application season for phosphate fertilizers is almost over, and stocks of sulphuric acid are expected to gradually increase over the summer. "For this reason, the second half of the year will probably see prices coming down for both products," CRU forecasts. In another analysis of the world fertilizer market, TD Bank analysts also are cautious about offshore demand due to recent weakness in global crop prices, "which may limit the global demand fertilizer rebound volume and/or price gains." Source www.purchasing.com New smelting
facility, a Refinery and a Sulphuric Acid Factory planned for Serbia's RTB Bor April 7, 2010 - Together
with Canadian Ambassador to Belgrade John Morrison and representatives of the SNC-Lavalin
Company, Dinkic visited the RTB Bor
mining complex, for which a new investment cycle has been announced, including the
construction of a new smelting facility, a refinery and a sulphuric acid factory.
Dinkic said that the construction of new facilities will be financed via a very favourable
loan granted by the Export Development Canada (EDC) bank, in the amount of €135
million. The loan was secured thanks to guarantees provided by the Republic of Serbia,
Dinkic noted adding that the contractor is Canadian company SNC-Lavalin. The Deputy
Prime Minister said that this is the most serious investment cycle in the last 30 years,
specifying that €27 million will be invested in mining equipment. During
Tuesday's tour of the Veliki Krivelj open pit, Dinkic officially put a new damper
into operation. The new equipment installed includes ten trucks that can transport 220
tonnes each, two excavators, two bulldozers, a drill and a grader. Investment
in this mine is an investment in the future because there will be new jobs for young
engineers and new employees, which will contribute to the development of the entire region
of eastern Serbia, he said. He added that this investment will also provide a
healthier environment for the citizens of Bor. It is important to invest in Bor,
because copper is a strategic raw material, with its value on the world stock market
having recovered faster than that of other metals, said the Minister and explained that
copper is increasingly used in the production of clean technologies. The Minister
said that the agreement on financing is to be signed with the EDC by 20 May, after which
the document should be ratified in the Serbian parliament. The EDC’s loan will
be granted under very favourable conditions, with a grace period of three years, 14
semi-annual payments and an effective interest rate of approximately 2.9% per annum,
concluded Dinkic. Source: Government of Serbia. Source: Government of Serbia Chile Enami halts
operations at largest smelting plant for 10 days April
6, 2010 April 4, 2010 - Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Ltd, country's largest fertilizer manufacture in cooperative sector, has registered a record production during the 2009-10 financial year. In the fiscal that has passed by, the Paradip-based IFFCO plant, since its acquisition from a sick private ownership on 2005, recorded the highest ever fertilizer production to the tune of 15,00,000 MT, according to M R Patel, Executive Director, IFFCO Paradip unit. In a major turnaround, the fertilizer unit has also registered impressive growth in Phosphoric Acid and Sulphuric Acid production in 2009-10 fiscal Patel claimed. While 4,62,000 MT phosphoric acid was produced at the plant, the unit recorded 14,28,290 MT Sulphuric Acid production, he said. Listing out the achievement made by the cooperative fertilizer manufacturing unit, Patel informed that IFFCO Paradip has generated 3,12,420 MWH of Power in the in its captive power plant during financial year 2009-10. At a time when the state is starved of power resources, IFFCO has come to the need of the state by supplying 24,778 MWH power. The financial year that has gone by is an eventful one with the plant bagging prestigious National Energy conservation award. IFFCO, Paradip is also the recipient of ‘improvement in overall performance' and ‘best technical innovation' awards from fertilizer association of India. The IFFCO Paradip is sticking to industrial safety standards and its pollution control mechanism is one of best in fertilizer sectors in the country, Patel claimed. But contrary to claims, the fertilizer-manufacturing unit is now faced with accusation of discharge of toxic gaseous substances in the air affecting residents of at least three GPs in Kendrapara district. Kendrapara district administration has ordered an inquiry into the alleged emission of toxic gas in the air. The PRI members of Ramnagar, Kharinasi and Barakanda GPs located at the close periphery of the fertilizer plant had recently drawn the attention of district administration alleging that toxic emission is causing health hazard in their localities. Uranium
One mulls participation in second Kazakh acid plant March
12, 2010 - Uranium miner Uranium One is investigating the possibility of becoming a
partner in another new sulphuric acid plant in Kazakhstan, CEO Jean Nortier told Mining
Weekly Online on Thursday. Although the
company is not concerned with the actual availability of sulphuric acid in the country, it
has warned that the logistical supply lines are “stretched”, particularly as a
number of projects and expansions ramp up. Kazakhstan
is expected to become the top uranium producer this year, overtaking Canada. Nortier emphasised that Uranium One continues to
receive the acid supplies it needs each week for its in situ leach operations, but
said there is a concern that road conditions or low availability of trucks or storage
facilities could result in a temporary interruption.
The company is working with other producers in Kazakhstan to address the
issue, including by establishing new storage facilities where the acid gets offloaded from
the rail trucks before it is loaded onto road trucks, and improving the quality of the
roads over which the acid is shipped, he said. “And
we are investigating the possibility of being partners in the construction of an
additional sulphuric acid plant,” he said in an interview. Uranium One already has a 19% interest in a new
500 000 t/y acid plant that is under construction near its Kharasan operation. “For this additional one, we are still
talking to potential partners, so there's nothing on the table that I can actually give
concrete details on,” Nortier said. He
said he expects most of the pressure on the acid logistics lines to have been released by
the end of this year. Uranium One produces
uranium from mines in Kazakhstan, and owns 51% of the Honeymoon project, in Australia, as
well as some processing facilities and deposits in the US. Mitsubishi Materials May Run Smelters at Full
Capacity in Japan March 10, 2010 - Mitsubishi Materials Corp., Japan’s
third-largest copper producer, may run its two domestic smelters at full capacity in the
next fiscal year, in contrast to plans by two rivals to keep production cuts, an executive
said. “At the moment, that’s the plan,” Kenichi Watase, general
manager in the Tokyo-based company’s sales department, said in an interview today.
Watase declined to elaborate as the company expects to issue its output targets for April
to September early next month. The producer planned to make 300,000 metric tons in the
year ending March 31. Prices of copper, used in pipes and cables, more than doubled
in the past year as the global economy recovered from its worst postwar recession. BHP
Billiton Ltd. and Freeport- McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc. won a 38 percent cut in 2010
processing fees from smelters as raw material supplies tightened after China expanded
capacity. Pan Pacific Copper Co. and Sumitomo Metal Mining Co. have said they may
keep production cuts in the year from April 1 because of the lower fees. Mitsubishi
Materials operates the Onahama smelter, to the north of Tokyo, with a capacity of 258,000
tons, and the Naoshima smelter, in western Japan, with 225,000 tons. The company has a 50
percent stake in the Onahama smelter. The company “is flexible on adjusting
production based on the market situation in coming months” given the reduced fees and
uncertain demand outlook at home and abroad, Watase said. “We don’t know whether
a recovery in demand from the auto sector will continue after subsidies end later this
year.” “After domestic demand plunged last
year to the lowest level since 1975, we’ve seen a recovery in some sectors, including
cars and semiconductors, not from overall industries,” in recent months, Watase said.
The Japanese government has extended the subsidy program, which was set to expire
at the end of March, for six months through September. Electric, hybrid, natural-gas, and
some diesel vehicles qualify for an exemption from the country’s weight and purchase
taxes. Exports to China “will depend on Chinese government policies and the
price difference between the Shanghai market and the London Metal Exchange,” Watase
said. “In my personal view, China’s demand growth would remain steady this
year.” Asked if Mitsubishi Materials saw any change
in the market for sulfuric acid, a byproduct for copper smelting, Watase said demand has
recovered from fertilizer makers and mining companies. “We’ve seen good
demand for the fertilizer sector in North America as the planting season for grain crops
starts soon,” Watase said. Sulfuric acid supplies have been tight since early January
as demand jumped after a recession slashed stockpiles held by fertilizer makers and
mining, he said. The value of sulfuric acid, used to dissolve metal ore and produce
fertilizer, has gone from worthless to “crazy” this year, increasing costs for
mining companies, according to London-based researcher CRU Group said. Demand from
fertilizer makers, normally about half of world sulfuric acid consumption, has risen as
higher prices for their products prompted companies to rebuild stocks, Joanne Peacock, an
analyst at CRU, said March 8. Doe Run Peru reach a positive Letter of Intent with Glencore March 1, 2010
- Doe Run Peru S.R.L. has reached a Letter of Intent with Glencore to support the re-start
of metallurgical operations in La Oroya, Peru. Through this Letter of Intent,
Glencore will supply a line of credit that may be used as a working capital facility to
help re-start the La Oroya Metallurgical Complex and as part of the financing that will
allow for the completion of the Environmental Adjustment and Management Plan (PAMA) that
Doe Run Peru has agreed with the Government of Peru. This Letter of Intent has
closed an important step in the process to restart operations in La Oroya. Doe Run Peru
will continue to strengthen its efforts to make this re-start come true in the shortest
time possible. The company has ratified its intention to build a long term
solution to continue to meet its environmental commitments and further improve the quality
of life for the population and the future generations. Outotec to Deliver 116 Million Euro Copper Plant for Codelco in Chile March 1, 2010 - Outotec has signed a contract with Codelco for the design and delivery of a copper concentrate roasting plant, gas cleaning system and sulfuric acid plant for Codelco’s new Mina Ministro Hales mine close to Calama, Northern Chile. The contract price is approximately EUR 116 million. Outotec’s turn-key plant delivery includes basic and detail engineering, proprietary and process equipment, installation and start up services. Outotec and Codelco also signed a Memorandum of Understanding for two years’ operation and maintenance of the new plant. The new plant will treat annually up to 550,000 tonnes of copper concentrate and it will produce approximately 250,000 tonnes of sulfuric acid. The plant is scheduled to be commissioned in early 2012. “Codelco, the world’s largest copper producer, has been our business partner for decades. The company has high standards for operational safety and environmental requirements. This significant order demonstrates their confidence in the sustainability of our technologies and project execution competence”, says Pertti Korhonen, President and CEO of Outotec. |
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