Sulphuric Acid - NEWS - 2005

Villagers’ demand: close GFL plant
Canada wins small battle on trade front
Big River Zinc's plant in Sauget will be closed
Bateman Awarded License for NORAM's Sulphuric Acid Technology
The Mosaic Company Announces Reduction in Operations and Revised Volume Projections for Fiscal 2006
Citizens File Fifth Suit Against Chemical Plant
U.S. Announces Major Clean Air Act Settlement With Lucite International
Rhodia Completes Two Divestitures
Outokumpu Technology to deliver a new copper plant to China
Cytec Says Katrina Damages Chemicals Plant
Rhodia Announces Sale of Sulfuric Acid Business
Chemtrade receives statement of claim from Marsulex
Monsanto Completes Sale Of Enviro-Chem Systems
Chemtrade Logistics announces acquisition, increase in distributions, new bank facilities and equity offering
35 tonne toxic oleum removed from Nandesari unit
Proposed Sulphuric Acid Plant Rejected
EPA Gives Green Light to Industrial Site Clean-up is a Step Closer to Being Cleaned Up
Topsoe to Supply the Fourth WSA Plant to the Molymet Group
Chemtrade Logistics to acquire leading European marketer and distributor of sulphur and sulphuric acid
HMZ Metals Begins Hechi Copper Smelter Expansion
Monsanto Signs Letter of Intent to Sell Enviro-Chem Systems Inc.
Conceptual Engineering for Codelco's Chuquicamata Expansion
OCFL partially suspends its operations
ASARCO Seeks to Renew Air-Quality Permit for El Paso Smelter
Rhodia Completes Sale Of UK Sulfuric Acid Business

Villagers’ demand: close GFL plant

December 15, 2005 - Nathkuva (Halol), India - Following a recent leakage of oleum from the Gujarat Fluorochemicals Limited (GFL) plant manufacturing lethal Hydro Fluoro Carbon (HFC) gases, the plant based in Ranjitnagar village of Goghamba taluka, is in the eye of a massive law and order storm.  A week ago, a delegation from Nathkuva village of Goghamba Taluka in the Panchmahals petitioned before the Godhra Collector that the authorities should either shut the plant or move the GFL factory from the vicinity of human settlement. The petition, urging the Collector to take action within 10 days, comes after the villagers said that during the recent leakage they got little or no help from either the company officials or the district authorities.   The morning after the leakage of oleum from a tanker outside the GFL plant compound, Nathkuva villagers attacked the plant and injured 13 workers. According to villagers, company guards shot three rounds at them before the police came to intervene.   After the incident, about 392 people consisting mostly of women and children from the village reported sick at the Ranjitnagar public health centre after inhaling sulphuric acid fumes produced by oleum.

Canada wins small battle on trade front

December 7, 2005 - Canada won a small but significant battle on the trade front Wednesday as the U.S. International Trade Commission ruled that the U.S. industry had not suffered any damage from Canadian imports of liquid sulphur dioxide.  The ruling means that the important industrial chemical can be exported to the United States once again without the threat of anti-dumping duties.    In the sulphur dioxide case, Chemtrade Logistics Income Fund said the ITC voted 5 to 1 there was "no reasonable indication" that U.S. industry had been "materially injured or threatened with material injury" by imports of the chemical. As a result, the file will be closed.

Big River Zinc's plant in Sauget will be closed

December 2, 2005 - Korea Zinc Co. will shut its Big River Zinc Corp. plant in Sauget by early February because of losses from surging raw materials costs  Big River, one of three zinc refineries remaining in the United States, employs 300 people.  The plant lost almost $7 million during the first nine months this year with no turnaround in sight.  The plant cannot compete due to the price of raw materials which has risen due to demand from China.  The plant's four units will be closed in stages, beginning this month. Production will cease by early February.  The plant was closed from 1971 to 1973 and has gone through several ownership changes in recent decades.  Seoul-based Korea Zinc Co. bought it in 1996.

Bateman Awarded License for NORAM's Sulphuric Acid Technology

November 18, 2005 - Bateman Engineering N.V. ("Bateman") a leading engineering, contracting and project management company specialising in the mineral resources industry, today announces an agreement with Noram Engineering and Constructors ("Noram") of Vancouver, Canada, under which Bateman will become the exclusive licensee for Noram's sulphuric-acid plant technologies in the sub-Saharan area.  As a result of this agreement, Bateman will undertake projects on sulphuric-acid facilities across the entire spectrum, from plant audits to feasibility studies, design, procurement, construction and commissioning of complete new plants, and upgrading facilities, where Bateman will be able to retrofit individual pieces of equipment into existing plants. Plant capacities can range from as little as 100 t/day of sulphuric acid to the largest practical capacities. Plant-emission levels can meet client requirements or be designed to meet the most stringent international environmental legislation and best practice. 
According to the agreement, Noram will provide the technology and proprietary equipment based on its proven North American and European track record. Bateman will contribute its project-execution experience, drawing on its 85-year track record which includes over 1 000 projects in more than 50 countries since 1980.  On the African continent, Bateman has worked in approximately 20 countries. The key process and technological advantages offered by Noram include:

•   Proprietary and proven technology, including Noram's advanced gas/gas heat exchangers, seeing service in over 80 installations worldwide
•   Patented and compact design features that produce smaller plot plans and improved capital cost
•   Equipment designed for reduced operating costs and improved safety
•   State-of-the-art engineering design tools and proprietary software, including static and dynamic modelling of plants.

This technology complements and extends Bateman's capability to serve the minerals- and metals-processing industry where sulphuric-acid plants are required as part of a minerals-processing complex or fertiliser plant, or to produce sulphuric acid as a by-product to augment revenue.

The Mosaic Company Announces Reduction in Operations and Revised Volume Projections for Fiscal 2006

November 17, 2005 - PLYMOUTH, Minn., The Mosaic Company announced today that it plans to temporarily reduce fertilizer production at several of its North American locations due to increased raw material costs and a slowdown in domestic and offshore demand.  Phosphate production at Mosaic's Florida and Louisiana manufacturing operations will be reduced by approximately 400,000 to 600,000 tonnes over the next four to six months.  Potash output will be reduced by up to 200,000 tonnes during downtime periods in the upcoming holiday season.  Mosaic plans to operate its Green Bay, Florida phosphate fertilizer plant at about one-half of its operating capacity through April 2006 and further plans to reduce phosphate fertilizer production at its Faustina and Uncle Sam, Louisiana plants by about fifty percent in November and December.  In addition, Mosaic's ammonia plant at Faustina, which has been idled since early October, will restart at full production rates because it is more cost efficient to produce ammonia in light of recent price increases for this key raw material in the production of phosphate fertilizers. As a result of Mosaic's lower phosphate fertilizer production, Mosaic also plans to cut back phosphate rock mining operations in Florida to reduce its raw material inventories.

"Following strong summer export activity, the global fertilizer market has cooled off a bit this fall," stated Fritz Corrigan, President and Chief Executive Officer of Mosaic. "We are reducing phosphate production because of the margin squeeze caused by another spike in raw material costs, including unacceptably high ammonia and sulfur costs, and lower than expected DAP sales to customers in North America and export markets," said Corrigan. "High energy and fertilizer prices have created an uncertain environment and caused some customers to delay purchases. While we expect overall demand to drop slightly this year, we are confident that farmers will apply essential crop nutrients when planting time rolls around next Spring," added Corrigan. "It's simply not prudent for us to continue production at current rates given the high costs of raw materials and build unacceptable levels of inventory and risk if customers are delaying decisions to purchase fertilizer today. Mosaic needs to operate in a fiscally responsible manner in the current environment by reducing our phosphate and potash production to lower inventory levels, take on less risk, and balance our supply to meet current purchasing activity," said Corrigan.

Citizens File Fifth Suit Against Chemical Plant

October 18, 2005 - Ashland, Kentucky - A fifth federal lawsuit against DuPont concerning a leak at a plant in Wurtland more than a year ago has been filed in US District Court in Ashland.  The suit is similar to the four others in that it alleges the company was negligent when a pipe at the Wurtland facility ruptured. The chemical sulfur trioxide was released.  Upon reacting with the atmosphere, the chemical formed massive white clouds composed of sulfuric acid, which covered the landscape. US 23 between Greenup and Raceland had to be closed. More than a hundred Greenup Countians have claimed they were not properly warned about the danger of the chemical release.

U.S. Announces Major Clean Air Act Settlement With Lucite International

October 17, 2005 - Washington - The Justice Department and the Environmental Protection Agency have reached a major Clean Air Act (CAA) settlement with Lucite International, Inc. (Lucite) requiring the chemical manufacturer to install pollution controls on three emission sources at its Memphis, Tennessee plant, which will eliminate 6,500 tons of pollution each year. Under the terms of the settlement announced today, Lucite will install an estimated $16 million worth of new pollution controls, in addition to paying a civil penalty of $1.8 million and performing a supplemental environmental project worth $1.3 million. The federal government alleged that the company violated CAA provisions of the New Source Performance Standards (NSPS), the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAPs), and the Protection of Stratospheric Ozone. Today's settlement resolves allegations that the company violated the CAA at its Memphis facility.  "The settlement announced today demonstrates our commitment to aggressively enforcing the laws that protect our environment and our citizens," said Kelly A. Johnson, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department's Environment and Natural Resources Division. "This agreement will significantly improve the air quality for the people of Tennessee."  Lucite will install a $16 million dual absorption control system on its Sulfuric Acid Regeneration Unit, which will result in the elimination of approximately 2,500 tons of sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions per year, to comply with NSPS standards.   In addition, Lucite will implement a supplemental environmental project to reroute emissions from two other plant emission sources. This will result in a 90 percent reduction of previously permitted emissions from these sources. Implementation of this project will cost Lucite approximately $1.3 million.

Rhodia Completes Two Divestitures

October 10, 2005 - Rhodia today announced the finalization of two divestitures initiated during the second quarter 2005: - The sale of its European cartridge silicone sealants business to Henkel, following the agreement signed August 8 ; - The sale of its phosphates and sulfuric acid manufacturing businesses at its site in Rieme to Misa Inc., following the agreement signed September 2. These divestments form part of the divestiture of non strategic activities being undertaken by the Group with a view to refocusing its business portfolio. Finalization of the sale to Henkel of its European cartridge silicone sealants business.  Following the announcement on August 8 of an agreement to sell its European cartridge silicone sealants business to Henkel, Rhodia today announced the sale has been completed. This business, which generated sales of more than 50 million euros in 2004, comprises the production and distribution in Europe of a wide range of silicone sealants sold in cartridge form for the construction and Do-It-Yourself (DIY) markets. The Rhodia Group will continue, through its Silcea Enterprise, to develop and manufacture core intermediates as well as bulk silicone sealants and market them in Europe and the rest of the world. Finalization of the sale to Misa of its phosphates and sulfuric acid manufacturing businesses in Rieme.   Following the announcement on September 2 of an agreement to sell its phosphates and sulfuric acid manufacturing businesses at its site in Rieme (Belgium) to Misa Inc., Rhodia today announced the sale has been completed. This transaction marks a further step in Rhodia's withdrawal from the phosphates area.

Outokumpu Technology to deliver a new copper plant to China

September 22, 2005 – Finland - Outokumpu Technology has been awarded a contract by YangguXiangguang Copper  Company for a greenfield copper production plant to be built in Yanggu county in Shangdong province, China. The contract value exceeds EUR 50 million.  The copper production in Yanggu will be based on Outokumpu’s technology, including Flash Smelting process, Kennecott-Outokumpu Flash Converting process, anode casting shop, tankhouse, and sulphuric acid plant.  Outokumpu Technology’s scope of supply includes licenses, basic engineering and proprietary equipment for both flash smelting and flash converting, delivery of a TM18 anode casting shop, all tankhouse machinery with Outokumpu stainless Permanent Cathodes, as well as engineering and key equipment for a sulphuric acid plant.   Nanchang Engineering & Research Institute of Nonferrous Metals (NERIN) is in charge of the local engineering and project implementation.  In the first phase, the new plant will have the capacity of 200,000 tonnes of copper cathodes per year, and it is planned to be expanded up to 400,000 tonnes.  “This significant order from the demanding Chinese markets proves that our renowned Flash Smelting technology combined with Kennecott-Outokumpu Flash Converting is the leading technology in copper production, when cost-effectiveness, energy-efficiency and environmental soundness are the requirements. This deal further shows that Outokumpu Technology masters the whole process chain from smelting and off-gas treatment up to electrorefined high quality copper with seamless integration of various technologies”, says Tapani Järvinen, President & CEO of Outokumpu Technology.  This contract also means a breakthrough of Outokumpu’s new electrorefining concept, in which high quality Outokumpu Permanent Cathodes made of special stainless steel in Outokumpu’s Tornio plant are used to maximize the productivity of the refinery.  The advanced sulphuric acid plant to be built in Yanggu with LUREC high sulphur dioxide processing system will be the first-of-its-kind in China.

Cytec Says Katrina Damages Chemicals Plant

September 2, 2005 - WEST PATERSON, N.J. - Cytec Industries Inc. said Hurricane Katrina's breakneck winds damaged its Fortier chemicals plant, and knocked out power there.  Cytec said it doesn't know when operations will resume.  The Building Block Chemicals plant, housed outside New Orleans, is being powered only by emergency generators. A recovery team is at the site taking stock of the damage and contacting suppliers "to re-establish the customer supply chain as soon as possible," Cytec said.  "We have declared force majeure on supply obligations for acrylonitrile, aminonitrile and sulfuric acid manufactured at the site," the company said.

Rhodia Announces Sale of Sulfuric Acid Business

September 2, 2005 - Rhodia announced Friday the sale of its phosphates and sulfuric acid manufacturing businesses in Rieme, Belgium to Misa, a unit of Uganda's Madhvani International.  This transaction, is a further step in Rhodia's withdrawal from the phosphates area and forms part of the divestiture of non-strategic activities being undertaken by the group with a view to consolidating its business portfolio.

Chemtrade receives statement of claim from Marsulex

August 15, 2005, TORONTO, Ontario - Chemtrade Logistics Income Fund and Chemtrade Logistics Inc. announced today that it has been served with a statement of claim from Marsulex Inc.  Marsulex has claimed that Chemtrade breached its non-competition agreement with Marsulex dated July 18, 2001 by acquiring Peak Chemical, LLC and Peak Sulfur, Inc. (the "Peak Acquisition"). Marsulex also claims that Chemtrade is in breach of a services agreement with Marsulex in respect of pooling certain insurance requirements. Marsulex is seeking damages for the alleged breaches of contract in the amount of $72.8 million, as well as other relief.      Chemtrade believes that the claims are without merit and Chemtrade intends to vigorously defend against the claim.       The Fund disclosed in its final short form prospectus dated August 11, 2005 that Chemtrade had earlier received and responded to a letter from Marsulex indicating that Marsulex would view the Peak Acquisition as a breach of the non-competition agreement. Chemtrade has received advice from its legal advisors that the non-competition covenants contained in the non-competition agreement are likely unenforceable.

Monsanto Completes Sale Of Enviro-Chem Systems

Aug. 8, 2005 - ST. LOUIS, Missouri, USA - Monsanto Company (NYSE: MON) announced today that it has completed the sale of Monsanto Enviro-Chem Systems Inc. to a new company formed by the Enviro-Chem management team and an outside investor. The new company will do business as MECS, Inc. Terms of the sale were not released. Monsanto announced in April that it had entered into a letter of intent to sell the business to the management group. The company has been reporting results for the Enviro-Chem business as discontinued operations since the second-quarter period, which ended Feb. 28, 2005.

Chemtrade Logistics announces acquisition, increase in distributions, new bank facilities and equity offering

August 2, 2005 - Toronto, Canada - Chemtrade Logistics Income Fund announced today that it has purchased all the outstanding equity interests of Peak Chemical, LLC ("Peak Chemical") and all of the outstanding voting equity interests of Peak Sulfur, Inc. ("Peak Sulfur" and together with Peak Chemical, "Peak").  Chemtrade has the right and intends to purchase the balance of the Peak Sulfur equity (being non-voting common stock) before the end of 2005.  The aggregate purchase price was US$166.75 million, which was comprised of US$21.75 million for Peak Chemical and US$145 million for Peak Sulfur (which includes US$15.6 million to fund the purchase price of the non-voting common stock to be acquired in December 2005).

35 tonne toxic oleum removed from Nandesari unit

June 15, 2005 - VADODARA, India - Around 35 tonnes of toxic oleum was finally removed from a closed unit at Jeevan Oxychem (Nandesari), about one-and-a-half years after a major gas leak took place at the plant.   The move was initiated after residents living around the closed unit, began complaining of frequent leaks from the containers during the daytime.  Residents living in surrounding villages have been complaining of white fumes emanating from the containers from 10 in the morning to 6 in the evening.  Authorities concerned, after inspecting the storage tanks, had warned disaster management experts that if the oleum was not transferred immediately before the monsoons set in, the gas would vigorously react with rainwater and begin emanating poisonous fumes that could lead to a major chaos in surrounding villages.  The contents have finally been transferred to Transpek Silox industries in Vadsar for immediate disposal.

Proposed Sulphuric Acid Plant Rejected

June 14, 2005 - The Environmental Council of Zambia (ECZ) has rejected the proposed project to build a sulphuric acid plant in Chambishi after it failed to meet conditions of the environmental protection and pollution control Act.  The proposed plant to be built by Sino Acid Products had been rejected because emissions from such a plant would affect operations at Chambeshi Metals.    Sino Acid has been asked to find an alternative site.

EPA Gives Green Light to Industrial Site Clean-up is a Step Closer to Being Cleaned Up

June 8, 2005 - A badly contaminated disused industrial site in Bayswater in Perth where the former CSBP fertiliser plant manufactured sulphuric acid and superphosphate from 1928 to 1990 is one step closer to being cleaned up.  The soil on the site is now badly contaminated from waste materials that were disposed of on-site and the groundwater is acidic and moving towards the Swan River.   It has taken the company two years to get to the stage of getting the EPA's endorsement.  The company proposes to take out the residual material on-site and dispose of it off-site. It will also take care of any other contaminates that occur on-site in such a way that the area in the future can be used for industrial and commercial purposes

Topsoe to Supply the Fourth WSA Plant to the Molymet Group

June 1, 2005 - In April 2005, Topsoe concluded a supply contract with Molibdenos y Metales S.A. (Molymet) of Santiago, Chile concerning a plant for production of 170 MTPD sulphuric acid from the SO2 containing waste gases of a new molybdenum sulphide roaster at Molymet's plant at Nos, near Santiago. The plant is scheduled to start operation in early 2007. This will be the fourth sulphuric acid plant of Topsoe's proprietary WSA (Wet gas Sulphuric Acid) technology, supplied to the Molymet group. The first three plants are in operation in Belgium, Chile and Mexico.

The WSA technology is especially well-suited for waste gas cleaning from metal smelting and roasting. Due to the simple process lay-out of the condensation based process, the WSA plant only consists of relatively few and simple components leading to a low plant investment cost. Further, the sulphuric acid condenser, operating only based on the use of cooling air, reduces the cooling water consumption by a factor ten compared to traditional sulphuric acid technology. This together with a low electricity consumption and a high steam export offers an attractive operating economy.

Chemtrade Logistics to acquire leading European marketer and distributor of sulphur and sulphuric acid

May 2, 2005 - Chemtrade Logistics Income Fund announced that it has agreed to purchase Ruhr Schwefelsaure GmbH (RS) and its subsidiary, Ruhr Transport GmbH for (euro) 8.6 million (approximately CDN$14.1 million) on a debt free basis.  RS is the leading independent sulphur removal company in Germany, providing services to major oil and gas industry customers in Central Europe, primarily in Germany.   RS has long-term intake contracts with most of the large producers in Central Europe including BP, Shell and Exxon, and multi-year sales agreements with consumers such as Bayer, Degussa and BASF.  Approximately 35% of RS sulphur intake volume is secured by a long-term contract that is in effect until 2017.

RS has a significant share of the liquid sulphur market in Western and Central Europe and is an important supplier of merchant sulphuric acid in Germany.  As part of Chemtrade, RS will have improved access to international markets for sulphuric acid and sulphur and the combined logistics operations should result in cost savings for the group.

HMZ Metals Begins Hechi Copper Smelter Expansion

April 27, 2005 - HMZ Metals Inc. announced the commissioning of the Hechi copper smelter expansion.  The expansion program is designed to double smelter capacity to 10,000 tonnes of blister copper annually, increase operating efficiencies and enhance the smelter's environmental performance.  HMZ owns one of the two existing copper smelters in Guangxi province. By doubling capacity, this program will enable the Company to efficiently capitalize on regional copper production while keeping capital costs to a minimum.

The copper smelter expansion is a two-phase program. Phase One, with an estimated cost of US$900,000 (RMB 7.3 million) consists of the construction of an oxygen plant and the addition of a second blast furnace which together are expected to double capacity by enabling the smelter to operate continuously. Completion of Phase One is expected in October 2005.

Phase Two consists of the construction of a new sulphuric acid plant that will exceed current emission standards.  With a projected cost of US$2.8 million (RMB 22.7 million) construction will begin following the implementation of Phase One.  Completion of Phase Two is expected in June 2006.   No downtime is expected during either Phase One or Phase Two.

Monsanto Signs Letter of Intent to Sell Enviro-Chem Systems Inc.

April 5, 2005 - Monsanto Company announced today that it has signed a non-binding letter of intent to sell its Enviro-Chem unit to the management of this subsidiary in a management buyout. Enviro-Chem provides engineering, procurement and construction management services for processing plants that use sulfuric acid. It also makes and sells proprietary equipment and air pollution control systems.

“Enviro-Chem has been a strong player in its industry for many years,” said Mark Leidy, Monsanto executive vice president, manufacturing. “However, this business is not a strategic fit with Monsanto’s focus on agriculture and planned growth of our seeds and traits business.

“We believe the best path forward for Monsanto, its shareowners, and for Enviro-Chem’s employees and customers, is a management buyout by the Enviro-Chem executive team. This approach will allow Enviro-Chem to operate much as it has in the recent past, with a focus on serving its customers,” Leidy said.

In conjunction with the decision to exit this business, Monsanto will begin reporting results for the Enviro-Chem business as discontinued operations beginning in the company’s second-quarter period, which ended Feb. 28, 2005. The parties are currently working on a definitive agreement for the transaction, which is targeted to close by the end of Monsanto’s 2005 fiscal year.

Conceptual Engineering for Codelco's Chuquicamata Expansion

January 13, 2005 - Outokumpu Technology has agreed with Codelco, the world’s major copper producer, to carry out comprehensive Conceptual Engineering for the expansion of the Chuquicamata copper smelter and refinery capacity in northern Chile.  The contract is a further step of the Framework Agreement the companies signed in 2002 on Cooperation and Development in technology intensive projects to be executed by Codelco.  In the Conceptual Engineering Outokumpu Technology studies several technological alternatives to expand and upgrade the Chuquicamata plant for processing of complex concentrates with high arsenic content. A specific target of the project is to improve arsenic capture to fulfil the future environmental requirements as well as to improve the overall productivity of the Chuquicamata plant. The Conceptual Engineering will be carried out in two phases and it will be completed by the end of August 2005.

OCFL Partially Suspends its Operations

February 4, 2005 - The private sector Oswal Chemicals and Fertilizer Ltd (OCFL) at Paradip, has partially suspended after being slapped with a closure notice by the Orissa State Pollution Control Board (SPCB).  The SPCB had asked the Collector of Jagatsinghpur district through a communication on January 28 to ensure the closure of operation of the OCFL's Sulphuric Acid plant, Phosphoric Acid plant and Di-Ammonium Phosphate plant till industrial safety was guaranteed.  Narottam Behera, Tehsildar of Kujang tehsil, who had been entrusted with the responsibility to ensure closure of the industry, said that though the deadline for the plant's shut down ended yesterday it had been extended up to February six as the company authorities had officially received the closure notice on January 31.  The SPCB order said it had found that improper environmental management practices adopted by the industry had caused leakages of gas causing inconvenience to the people.

ASARCO Seeks to Renew Air-Quality Permit for El Paso Smelter

January 28, 2005 - Hearings began to on the issue of whether or not ASARCO should be permitted to renew its air-quality permit for the mothballed El Paso.   An estimated 300 people turned up at UTEP's Tomas Rivera Conference Center for the start of what's expected to be a months-long process to answer one question: Can the Asarco smelter retain its state permit to emit 13.7 tons of lead and tons of other pollutants into the air annually for the next decade? That would be the same amount of pollution Asarco was allowed from 1992 until it closed in February 1999.  The trial is expected to start in June with a final decision being made in October.

Rhodia Completes Sale Of UK Sulfuric Acid Business

January 17, 2005 - Rhodia SA has completed the sale of its U.K. sulfuric acid businesses to U.K.-based INEOS Chlor Ltd.  The sale, for an undisclosed amount, was first announced last November.  The sale of Rhodia's U.K. chlor-alkali business to INEOS will be completed March 31, Rhodia said. Both businesses are located in Staveley, England.  The two businesses had combined revenue of GBP20 million in 2003.   The operation is part of a sale of non-strategic activities by Rhodia in an effort to consolidate its business portfolio.