Kazatomprom - Stepnogorsk

Acid Plant Database January 12, 2024

Owner	SSAP LLP (Stepnogorsk Sulfuric Acid Plant) LLP "JV SAP Kazatomprom"
Location	Industrial Zone 6, Complex No. 5 Stepnogorsk Akmola Region Kazakhstan
Background	2009 - United Chemical Company LLP bevcame a member of teh JV SKZ Kazatomprom LLP ucc.com.kz July 8, 2020 - The procedure of re-registration of JV SKZ Kazatomprom LLP to SSAP LLP (Stepnogorsk Sulfuric Acid Plant) was carried out
Website	www.kazatomprom.kz www.ssap.kz
Plant	Plant 1	Plant 2
Coordinates*	52° 28' 55.5" N, 72° 3' 28.5" E	-
Type of Plant	Sulphur Burning	Sulphur Burning
Gas Source	Elemental Sulphur	Elemental Sulphur
Plant Capacity	-	180,000 STPA (163,300 MTPA) 450 MTPD
SA/DA	-	DA
Status	-	Operating
Year Built	-	2015
Technology	-	MECS
Contractor	-	Desmet Ballestra Italy
Remarks	Plant shut-down for ecological reasons	Estimated cost: $74 million
Pictures

General	H₂SO₄ produced will be used for processing the uranium ore through the In-Situ Leaching process In 2009 United Chemical Company LLP became a member of JV SKZ Kazatomprom LLP. The funds were used for reconstruction of the sulfuric acid plant with the capacity of 180 thousand tons to provide Kazatomprom’s uranium mining enterprises with sulfuric acid. In October, 2015, the reconstruction of the sulfuric acid plant with a capacity of 180 thousand tons per year was completed and the plant was put into operation. The existing production facilities were reconstructed, as well as new facilities (molten sulphur warehouse with a pumping unit, absorption unit, sulphuric acid pump warehouse, diesel fuel warehouse, railway trestle) were constructed to ensure production of high quality product. The installed equipment and technology meet international standards. Current tasks: - provision of sulfuric acid to uranium mining enterprises of JSC NAK Kazatomprom. Solving the problems of sulfur processing that have a negative impact on the environmental situation in the Caspian region (currently, Tengizchevroil LLP (“TCO”) has about 8 million tons of sulfur on its sulfur maps); - development of the chemical industry in the northern regions of Kazakhstan through sulphur processing using modern technologies. The Joint Venture Kazatomprom Sulfuric Acid Plant LLP (JV SAP Kazatomprom LLP) is the project operator for the reconstruction of the sulfuric acid plant with a production capacity of 180 thousand tons per year in the Akmola region. The project is included in the State Program for the Forced Industrial and Innovative Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan for 2010-2014 and the Program for the Development of the Chemical Industry of the Republic of Kazakhstan for 2010-2014. Ownership structure: United Chemical Company LLP (90.11%), NAC Kazatomprom JV (9.89%). The commissioning and release of the first products (sulfuric acid technical GOST 2184-2013) was carried out in 2015. The main raw material for the production is granular sulfur supplied by Tengizchevroil LLP. The enterprise is fully automated, equipped with modern equipment and environmentally friendly (all processes are closed). More than 230 people are provided with jobs. The main consumers of the products are uranium mining enterprises of the Republic of Kazakhstan. History In 2005, SGHK LLP acquired an idle sulfuric acid plant (SAP), which was located in close proximity to the main industrial site of SGHK LLP in Stepnogorsk. As a result of the launch of sulfuric acid production, for the first time in Kazakhstan, the production was transferred from ferrous sulfide, lump sulfur (Tengizchevroil LLP) to Kazakhstani raw materials and one of the main tasks was fulfilled - to ensure own needs for sulfuric acid, as well as enterprises of NAC Kazatomprom JSC". Every year, the need for sulfuric acid increases. In 2006, 448.993 thousand tons were required for production needs, and by 2015 it was already 1769.519 thousand tons. So, in view of the need for stable supply of sulfuric acid of its own production and enterprises of NAC Kazatomprom, as well as the physical and moral deterioration of the existing sulfuric acid production, the question arose of the reconstruction of the sulfuric acid production of SGHK LLP. The new installation was located at the production sites of the existing sulfuric acid production of SGHK LLP, taking into account the use of the existing infrastructure of the enterprise (buildings and equipment currently available and in working condition, such as sulfur and finished products warehouses, raw material unloading unit from railway transport, water cycle, chemical water treatment, tail gas cleaning unit, driveways and railway tracks, office buildings and a canteen), which led to cheaper total project cost. 2008 Basic engineering is fulfilled (Desmet Ballestra) A contract was signed for the development of detailed engineering, equipment manufacturing (Desmet Ballestra) A contract was signed for the development of the project and working documentation (LLP PCO) A contract was signed for manufacturing of a part of the basic technological equipment (Belkamit) 2009 Detailed engineering (Desmet Ballestra) Manufacture and supply of basic equipment (Desmet Ballestra, Belkamit) Development of the project and working documentation (LLP PCO) 2009-2010 Detailed engineering (Desmet Ballestra) Manufacture and supply of basic equipment (Desmet Ballestra, Belkamit) Development of the project and working documentation (LLP PCO) 2011-2014 Reconstruction of the plant under the project (LLP PCO) Installation and configuration of equipment (Desmet Ballestra) 2015 Plant started operation
References	-
News	January 12, 2024 - The world's largest uranium producer, Kazakhstan's Kazatomprom, said on Friday it may cut its 2024 production plan due to difficulties with the availability of sulfuric acid needed for uranium production. The company had previously predicted that uranium production in the country would be 25 000 t to 25 500 metric tons this year and 30 500 to 31 500 t in 2025, compared with 20 500 t to 21 500 t in 2023. In a statement, the company said: "Despite the ongoing active search for alternative sources of sulfuric acid supply, current forecasts indicate that the company may find it difficult to achieve 90% production levels compared to subsoil use contract levels". Kazatomprom, which floated shares on the London Stock Exchange in 2019 and is 75% state owned, mines uranium in Kazakhstan both independently and through joint ventures. February 28, 2017 - Stepnogorsk sulfuric acid plant has reached full industrial capacity, reports the regional communication service. "Taking in account that production of sulfuric acid was launched at the end of 2015, the plant reached full capacity - 180 000 tons of sulfur per annum at the end of 2016," said Toleuzhana Zheksembayeva, director of joint company Sulfuric acid plant Kazatomprom. She said reconstruction of sulfuric acid plant created more than 220 work places for local people with average salary of 154 626 tenge. Stepnogorsk mining chemical combine was transformed into the Joint venture of sulfuric acid plant Kazatomprom in 2008. New company diversified production of sulfuric acid from ferric sulphate into Kazakhstani raw product- brimstone. January 5, 2015 - During the national teleconference “New industrialization of Kazakhstan: results of 2014 and the first five-year plan” on 25 December, President Nursultan Nazarbyaev has spoken about the industrialization program and launched a plant for the production of sulfuric acid, Tengrinews reports citing BNews.kz.“I congratulate the enterprises on the beginning of their activities," said Nazarbayev paying special attention to the factory for the production of ceramic bricks, which was launched earlier the same year and had produced more than 170 mln bricks."Building materials are very important. They will be used in our country. You see the housing program we are launching is big. So we need to expand production,” Nursultan Nazarbayev said. After that, the head of state unveiled the plant for production of sulfuric acid in Stepnogorsk town. "It is a very important moment for Stepnogorsk mining and processing plant that has survived the hard times. Congratulations to your staff, families and your region on these good developments. I wish you success and good health. Happy New Year," Nursultan Nazarbayev said when launching the plant. The cost of this project was 12,230 mln tenge ($67mln). As the director of Sulfuric Acid Plant Kazatomprom Yerlan Mami said, the new plant used advanced energy saving technologies. "As a result of the launch of the sulfuric acid production, for the first time in Kazakhstan production will be switched from iron sulfide to Kazakhstan's raw materials - lump sulfur (Tengizchevroil), and will meet the needs of Kazatomprom (Kazakh nuclear giant) for sulfuric acid," Mami said. Implementation of the project will help solve the problem of processing the sulfur that comes as a side product in Tengizchevroil's oil operations that has a negative impact on the ecological situation in the Caspian region. Moreover, the new plant will contribute to the development of the chemical industry in northern Kazakhstan. The start of production is planned for the second quarter of 2015. November 15, 2011 - Commercial Director Almaz Gimadov will join an audience of the event. Building of Stepnogorsk Mining and Chemical Industrial Complex has been begun in 1955, in the modern organizational form works since 2004. The industrial complexes of the mining and processing enterprises are in trust management of National Atomic Company Kazatomprom. Work of basic manufacture of SGKhK is provided with a number of divisions and affiliated structures. The enterprises Shantobe Energo and Agro-Chance function on the basis of deposits Vostok and Zvezdnoe on which extraction of uranium-molybdene and uranium ores is conducted. On capacities of hydrometallurgical factory Kyzyltu (designed capacity is 1 million tones ores a year) is processed ore of stepnogorsk deposits. The hydrometallurgical factory of Stepnogorsk Gas and Chemical Complex are engaged in processing of uranium-containing ore and concentrates of natural uranium of the enterprises entering into Kazatompromstructure, capacity is 4 thousand tones of uranium lower-oxide a year. Sulphuric factory has been started in 2006, together with the Italian partners work on designing and installation of new sulphuric factory by productivity of 180 thousand tones a year is conducted. Sulfuric acid is the major raw resource for underground desalination of uranium deposits.

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


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