Sulphuric Acid - NEWS

2006

Vote to Strike at Altonorte
The £60m gas terminal at Rampside is about to begin working again — having stood unused for 14 months
Former Valero Employee File Suit
GenTek Closing Newark Plant
Fertiliser Company Fined $37,000 for Discharging Gas
MFRI Receives an $8 million Order for Sulfur Transportation Pipeline
Kemira GrowHow, Fortum to Spend 17 million Euro on Raising Sulphuric Acid Output
Chinese factory managers detained over toxic river spill
DuPont starts building Texas facility
Man sues over industrial injuries
Phelps Dodge gets last permit to build new copper mine
Australian Seafarers Protest Loss of Jobs
Topsoe to Supply WSA Plant to Mittal Steel Krivyi Rih, Ukraine
Acid-burned Truck Driver Seeks Damages
Honeywell Refinery Initiatives Target Corrosion
Finnish firm (Outokumpu) to build sulphuric acid complex in Saudi
Mosaic Announces Restructuring of Phosphates Business
Phelps Dodge scraps plans for sulfur facility
Kelheim Fibres GmbH Implements Topsoe WSA Technology for Environmental Protection of Viscose Staple Fibre Production
Tuticorin Smelter
J.R. Simplot Plans to Increase Production
Former Rhodia worker receives $4.2 million judgment for injuries
Copper smelter Cumerio Med to triple output
Boliden Commercial AB Live on Time and within Budget with Intentia Supply Chain Planner
UGMK Purchases 229 Tank Cars for Its Plants
Copper Complex to Open
Landfill Gas Project Going to Cytec
PVS Chemicals to supply Air Products Europe with of high purity sulphuric acid
Fertilizer plant resumes some production in Pascagoula
Korean Zinc Company sells Big River Zinc
David Masotti Appointed President & Chief Operating Officer of Chemtrade Logistics
Japanese Copper Firms to Buy Transport Ship for US$39 million


Vote to Strike at Altonorte

SANTIAGO, Chile, December 9, 2006 - Union workers at Chile's Altonorte copper smelter, owned by Xstrata Plc, voted on Saturday to strike, rejecting a contract and wage deal from the company, union president Isidro Cabrera said.  The union's contract expires on Tuesday but the two sides could avert a strike if they request government mediation, which would give them five more days to negotiate a new deal.  "They have 48 hours to request government mediation. We'll be talking to them on Monday," Cabrera said.  A strike at Altonorte would be the latest in the sector as copper workers around the world seek a larger slice of soaring company profits with prices for the red metal nearly five times what they were in 2003.

 

The £60m gas terminal at Rampside is about to begin working again — having stood unused for 14 months

October 1, 2006 - A NEW £60m gas terminal at Rampside, which has stood unused for 14 months because of faults, will finally start up next month.  Burlington Resources, of Texas, had its new Rivers gas terminal built next to South and North Morecambe Centrica gas terminals at Rampside, to take gas from five new fields in the Irish Sea.  But it was shut down in December 2004, soon after operations started up, because of faults.  Recent claims were made to the Evening Mail that the terminal — which removes lethal hydrogen sulphide from gas taken from the new Rivers fields and turns it into saleable sulphuric acid — would be inoperative for many more months.  But speaking from Texas, Burlington Resources spokesman James Bartlett said: “Our best estimate is that the Rivers Plant will resume natural gas processing operations in February.”  Claims the company was going to rip out and replace parts of the acid plant were also dismissed.  Mr Bartlett said: “Your information on the status of the acid-handling portion of the plant is inaccurate.  “It may have been prompted by the fact that we considered installing a second acid concentration column in parallel with the existing column, but have decided that a second column is unnecessary at this time.  “However, such an installation remains an option for the future, since it would improve long-term efficiency and run-times."

Former Valero Employees File Suit

November 14, 2006 - Two workers who said they were injured in a sulfuric acid release at the Valero Refinery last month are suing both the refinery and a subcontractor.  The suit charges Valero did not properly train workers or maintain equipment.  It also claims that subcontractor JV Industries tried to keep employees from making worker’s compensation claims.

GenTek Closing Newark Plant

November 3, 2006, Newark, New Jersey - GenTek Inc., a chemical company, said Friday it is closing its Newark, N.J., sulfuric acid production plant at the end of this year.  The production and shipment of other products, aluminum sulfate and ferric sulfate, currently being sold from the New Jersey location will continue without any interruptions.  The company did not disclose how many, if any, workers would be laid off as a result of the plant closure.  'GenTek`s decision was driven by the fact that the Newark Sulfur operation, already cash flow negative, was facing increasingly adverse market conditions and required infrastructure investments, which would have led to material cash losses in this business,' the company said in a statement.

Fertiliser Company Fined $37,000 for Discharging Gas

October 24, 2006 - New Zealand - The Environment Court has fined the Ravensdown Fertiliser Company $37,000 for discharging sulphur dioxide gas, which led to people suffering breathing difficulties.  The court heard that on two occasions last year, the company's plant at Awatoto near Napier discharged quantities of sulphur dioxide gas.  Prosecutor Jo Riley says on the first occasion in June, six people who were sitting on the beach across the road from the plant suffered breathing difficulties and had to receive medical attention.  In August, two people working on a nearby rural property were also affected by sulphur dioxide.  Judge Craig Thompson ordered that in addition to the fine for breaches of the Resource Management Act, the company must pay each of the eight victims $1,000.

MFRI Receives an $8 million Order for Sulfur Transportation Pipeline

October 20, 2006 - MFRI, Inc. subsidiary Perma-Pipe Middle East FZE, has received an order to manufacture a sulfur transportation pipeline at PPME’s manufacturing plant in Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates. The $8 million order was placed by Al Jaber Energy Services, a leading Oil and Gas services contractor.  The order is for the manufacture of approximately 34 Kilometers, (21 miles) of insulated and heat-traced pipe for the transportation of sulfur, a byproduct of refining sour gas prior to exporting the natural gas to consumers throughout the world. The sulfur will be transported in a liquid state, using the heated and insulated pipeline, to port facilities from which it is exported for the manufacture of fertilizer and other products.  Perma-Pipe announced the opening of its manufacturing facility in Fujairah, UAE during March 2006. The facility is now fully operational and, during the startup, training and commissioning period, produced over $2,000,000 of various smaller projects delivered to Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, and the UAE.

Kemira GrowHow, Fortum to Spend 17 million Euro on Raising Sulphuric Acid Output

HELSINKI (AFX) - Kemira GrowHow said it and utility Fortum are to invest about 17 mln eur on increasing the production of sulphuric acid and energy at the former's Siilinarvi plant.  Under the agreement, Fortum will build a sulphur burning plant on the site, which will provide the raw materials for Kemira GrowHow's sulphuric acid production.  Fortum will meanwhile harness the heat generated in the process to produce electricity.
Production is due to start in early 2008.

Chinese factory managers detained over toxic river spill

September 11, 2006 - Beijing - The senior managers of two factories in central China blamed for tainting a river with toxic arsenide have been detained and could face criminal charges.  Last week, high levels of arsenide poison were found in Hunan province's Xinqiang River, forcing authorities to cut off drinking water for 80,000 people in the area.  No one was reported sickened.  Haoyuan Chemical Company, a sulphuric acid manufacturer in Hunan's Linxiang City, and Taolin Lead-Zinc Ore Chemical Plant, both in the upper reaches of the river, were the major polluters.  Pan Yue, SEPA's deputy director, promised harsh penalties for the enterprises and told Xinhua that the top managers may face criminal punishment.  

It said the two factories were discharging waste water with arsenide content more than 1,000 times higher than the national standard directly into Xinqiang River.  Haoyuan Chemical Company discharged nearly 50,000 tons of waste water every month, and Taolin Lead-Zinc Ore Chemical Plant 280 tons.  The two companies had not passed any environmental assessments and had no pollution treatment facilities. 

DuPont starts building Texas facility

August 10, 2006 - DuPont Co. is building a facility at Western Refining Inc.'s refinery in El Paso, Texas to recycle spent sulfuric acid and convert sulfur gases to sulfuric acid.

The process will reduce the refinery's sulfur dioxide emissions from processing sulfur gases by 74 percent, DuPont said.

The new unit will be owned and operated by DuPont under a commercial agreement. It is the first sulfuric acid regeneration facility of its kind in the southwestern United States. The project will allow more efficient management of sulfur processing at the refinery, and enables the plant's two processing lines to recycle and reuse sulfur gases and spent sulfuric acid from the petroleum refining process. The project will improve the competitiveness of Western Refining by allowing the refinery to use more "sour crude" oil.

This is DuPont's third sulfuric acid regeneration facility at refinery. The others are at the Valero Energy refinery in Delaware City and at the ConocoPhillips refinery in Linden, N.J.

Man sues over industrial injuries

Jul 27, 2006 - A North Codorus Township man who was sprayed with acid while unloading a railroad car is suing the Ohio company that sent the car.  David Roth and his wife, Betsy, recently filed the suit in U.S. Middle District Court in Harrisburg recently. They claim NorFalco, which has headquarters in Independence, Ohio, knew, or should have known, its rail cars that contained acid were "ultra hazardous, dangerous, and defective" because they didn't contain gauges indicating pressure in the cars or valves that would prevent acid from spraying on workers.

The suit states that NorFalco never warned Roth or his employer of the hazardous and dangerous nature of the distribution of the product or the defect in the rail cars. Furthermore, according to the suit, NorFalco did not provide protective clothing, instruct them in the proper way to unload the car or provide appropriate safety information and equipment.

According to the suit, Roth, who was employed by Glatfelter on Aug. 13, 2004, was assigned to remove a hose from a tank car sent to the paper mill by NorFalco.

Removing the acid from the tank car required pressurizing the tank car and placing a hose on a pipe through which the acid will flow, the document states. When Roth removed the hose, large amounts of acid sprayed out and burned him, according to the suit.

Roth suffered bodily injury, pain and suffering, disability, disfigurement, mental anguish and loss of capacity for the enjoyment of life, the suit states. He also accumulated medical expenses and lost earnings and no longer has the ability to earn.

The Roths, of the 5500 block of Stambaugh Road, are seeking unspecified damages and have requested a jury trial

Phelps Dodge gets last permit to build new copper mine

July 11, 2006 - Phelps Dodge Corp. has obtained the final permit for plans to build a new copper mine about nine miles northeast of Safford.  The air quality permit from the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality clears the way for a $550 million construction project for a mine that will be able to produce 120,000 tons of copper a year by the second half of 2008.  The anticipated Safford production would yield $880 million a year at Monday's spot closing price of $3.67 a pound.  Officials with Phoenix-based Phelps Dodge said up to 1,000 construction workers will be needed at the peak of the building project in mid-2007 and about 400 full-time workers and 100 more contract workers will operate the mine and processing plants.  The new mine will put Dos Pobres and San Juan, two copper deposits identified decades ago, into open-pit production after years of effort to get regulatory clearance.  The Safford project will use the low-cost solvent-extraction/electrowinning process that uses acidic solutions to draw copper from mountains of crushed ore. The process produces nearly pure copper cathodes on site without the need for smelting or refining.  ADEQ said the permit regulates emissions of nitrogen oxides, particulate matter and sulfuric acid mist from the mine and the associated mineral crusher, extraction facility and leach pad.  The Phelps Dodge flagship mine at Morenci, 45 miles northeast of Safford, produces 850 million pounds of copper a year.  It is the biggest copper producer in North America and the largest SX/EW copper production site in the world.

Australian Seafarers Protest Loss of Jobs

July 2006 - Thirty-six seafarers employed on the chemical carrier MT Stolt Australia who were facing the sack won a victory on July 14, when their employer signed a memorandum of understanding with the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA).

On July 7 the ship’s owners announced their plan to sail it to Singapore, sack the crew, and re-flag the Stolt Australia in the Cayman Islands tax haven. This would have created a “flag of convenience” (FoC) vessel, which meant the owners could employ a Third World crew paid as little as $100 a week. The 18 crew members on board at the time risked $6000 fines and 12 months’ jail by refusing to sail the vessel, keeping it tied up with its load of sulphuric acid at the Zinfex zinc smelter wharf in Hobart.

During the course of the dispute, a support protest sprang up on the wharf, and on July 11 a rally was held outside Stolt NYK’s Melbourne headquarters. The combined pressure brought the company to the table, and it agreed to redeploy the crew to other Stolt vessels and negotiate the introduction of an alternative chemical tanker.

Stolt NYK claimed that the vessel was no longer required to work the Australian coast, however the MUA had good reason to be suspicious of this claim. Under the Navigation Act, cargo carried from one Australian port to another is supposed to be carried by Australian-flagged vessels. But shipping bosses can get around this requirement by claiming that there are no appropriate vessels available and applying for an exemption (called single and continuous voyage permits).

Earlier they allowed sulphuric acid from the Zinifex zinc smelter to be loaded onto the vessel on Monday to allow the smelter to continue operating and alleviate pressure on smelter workers. Zinifex had said the smelter would be forced to shut down after 48 hours if the acid was left to stockpile on the docks.

Topsoe to Supply WSA Plant to Mittal Steel Krivyi Rih, Ukraine

Topsoe has recently concluded a supply contract with Krivorozhstal Steel Plant (now - Mittal Steel Krivyi Rih), Krivyi Rih, Ukraine, concerning a plant for production of 212 MTPD sulphuric acid from the H2S containing waste gases coming from the coke production in the steel plant. The plant is scheduled to start operation in 2006. This will be the third sulphuric acid plant of Topsoe's proprietary WSA (Wet gas Sulphuric Acid) technology, supplied to Ukraine.

Mr. Frands Jensen, Manager of Sales, Environmental Technology, says that the receipt of this order is very important as it is imperative for Topsoe to maintain its strong position as supplier of sulphuric acid technology to the coke and coke chemicals industry.

The WSA technology is especially well-suited for waste gas cleaning from coke production. Due to the simple process lay-out of the condenser-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, cooled only by air, reduces the cooling water consumption by a factor ten compared to traditional sulphuric acid technology. This, together with low electricity consumption and a high steam export, offers an attractive operating economy.

Acid-burned Truck Driver Seeks Damages

June 05, 2006 - A truck driver who was burned by a spray of sulfuric acid is suing G.S. Robins & Co. in St. Clair County Circuit Court.  According to the complaint filed May 26, the incident took place March 3 at an unloading station at 800 South Sixth St. in East St. Louis.  "Defendant, by and through its employees, opened the valve used for the transfer of sulfuric acid too quickly, causing the valve to be overpressurized and thereby causing the hose to come out of the trailer spraying sulfuric acid on plaintiff," the complaint states.  Gerald J. Roth, Jr. claims he was seriously burned and suffered permanent scarring to his face. Represented by Robert J. Radice of Horas & Radice in St. Louis, Roth is seeking in excess of $50,000 in damages.  He also claims the station did not have a safety shower on the loading dock which precluded him from immediately washing himself.

Honeywell Refinery Initiatives Target Corrosion

Honeywell (NYSE:HON) today announced two new corrosion research programs that will help refineries increase the production of alkylates for high-octane gasoline and maximise production per barrel of crude oil, particularly cheaper but highly corrosive “opportunity” crudes. Joint Industry Programs are target research programs sponsored by companies in the refining industry to address common industry corrosion issues. Previous Joint Industry Programs have been extremely successful, producing new levels of understanding and knowledge on corrosion issues.

Participation and sponsorship of the two new Joint Industry Programs (JIPs) – Predicting Corrosion in Sulfuric Acid Alkylation and Assessing Refinery Crude Oil Corrosivity – are being offered to refining customers today. These programs were identified and developed based on input from Honeywell refining customers worldwide. Refining companies that participate in these programs will partner with Honeywell to develop new approaches to corrosion management and will have access to the latest software tools for corrosion prediction, risk assessment and process optimisation.

“It’s a paradox for refiners: They can improve their profitability by increasing per-unit throughput of alkylates or processing lower-grade crude oils,” said Dr. Russell Kane, director of corrosion services, Honeywell Process Solutions. “However, both processes are highly corrosive and, if not managed carefully, can actually reduce throughput, increase downtime, damage equipment and endanger workers.”

Participants (e.g. sponsors) in previous Honeywell Joint Industry Programs attained sizeable savings by implementing the program results. For example, companies that participated in a recently completed program on refinery ammonium bisulfide corrosion (commonly found in reactor effluent air coolers), saved up to $10 million per application when they implemented the program results and software. Initial participants in the Joint Industry Programs are afforded substantial savings on program fees and proprietary access to program findings.

“Corrosion is the biggest threat to the productivity of the alkylate process,” Kane said.

“Yet despite the demand for increased unit productivity, there are few corrosion prediction tools and little quantitative data to accurately assess acid corrosion rates for the alkylation process.”   

Addressing this issue the Honeywell-managed program for Predicting Corrosion in Sulfuric Acid Alkylation will provide the underlying data needed to create better and more accurate guidelines to reduce corrosion. These include recommended materials for revamps, suggested upgrades for improved performance, and better definition of operating limits for alkylation units. A Predict® software tool will be developed to enable participants to predict corrosion for alloys typically used in the construction of these units.

The Honeywell-managed program for Assessing Refinery Crude Oil Corrosivity will integrate a corrosion test program with supporting analytical data on naphthenic acid and sulfur species. This information will be used to define key process parameters, develop quicker screening methods and more accurate modeling techniques to define safe operating envelopes and identify conditions that pose a risk of accelerated corrosion to commonly used alloys. The results will be integrated with a new Predict® software tool to aid in the assessment of refinery hot oil corrosivity within the refining circuit.

Participation in either program is available. For more information, visit www.honeywell.com/imc/2006JIPs or contact Dr. Russell D. Kane at: russ.kane@honeywell.com

Finnish firm (Outokumpu) to build sulphuric acid complex in Saudi

May 2, 2006 - Finnish steelmaker Outokumpu signed a contract yesterday to build the world’s biggest sulphuric acid complex worth $240m for Saudi mining firm Maaden, which will use it to produce fertiliser for export.   The deal to build three plants is part of a project announced by Maaden last year to create a mineral production and export zone at Ras al-Zour in eastern Saudi Arabia in a major drive to diversity Saudi Arabia’s oil-dependent economy.  The zone will also process bauxite and phosphate from mines in northern Saudi Arabia and include an ammonia plant, alumina refinery and six plants producing sulphuric and phosphoric acid.

“This is the first major contract for our phosphate project, which we will develop for feeding the people of the world. It’s our ambition that Saudi Arabia become a major supplier of phosphatic and fertilisers,” Maaden head Abdullah Dabbagh said at the signing ceremony.

Maaden will transport phosphate concentrate from its Hazm al-Jalamid mine in north Saudi Arabia to Ras al-Zour, where it will be mixed with sulphuric acid to produce phosphoric acid, which is then mixed with ammonia to produce fertiliser.  The complex will come on line in 2009, a Maaden official said. It will produce 13,500 tonnes a day of sulphuric acid, making it the largest facility of its kind in the world, a joint statement said.

Mosaic Announces Restructuring of Phosphates Business

May 2, 2006 - PLYMOUTH, Minn. - The Mosaic Company announced today plans to close indefinitely its South Pierce and Green Bay phosphate fertilizer production plants and Fort Green phosphate mine in central Florida. The three facilities affected by Mosaic's restructuring actions, which rank as Mosaic's highest cost Florida operations, will cease production at the end of May 2006.  The restructuring of Mosaic's phosphate business is expected to generate cost reduction benefits by allowing it to maximize production at its most efficient phosphate operations. Mosaic anticipates that the restructuring actions will result in lower raw material and operating costs, reduced capital expenditures and improved cash flow beginning in fiscal 2007. Mosaic estimates that the closure of the facilities on an indefinite basis will result in an after-tax earnings charge in the range of $300 to $400 million during its fiscal 2006 fourth quarter, the majority of which will be a non-cash asset-related charge. Total cash expenditures related to the phosphate restructuring activities are estimated to range between $55 and $65 million in fiscal 2007, which is approximately equivalent to the capital expenditures that will become unnecessary as a result of the restructuring.

"This strategic decision will dramatically strengthen the operating effectiveness of our ongoing phosphates business, which will include nine facilities in Florida and Louisiana, and immediately enhance Mosaic's cost competitiveness," said Fritz Corrigan, President and Chief Executive Officer. "While the upfront earnings charge is significant, much of it is non-cash. The result will be a more stable, lower-cost phosphates business that we expect will provide our customers with a predictable supply of consistently high-quality products, and generate greater cash flow. This decision will allow us to more effectively execute our business plan in an evolving and dynamic global phosphate market."

Mosaic's Fort Green mine, with an annual capacity of 4.9 million metric tonnes, has had particularly high cash costs, largely because of the distance between its mining operations and phosphate rock processing and shipping facilities. Following Fort Green's closure, Mosaic's annual phosphate rock capacity is expected to range between 14.6 and 15.1 million tonnes through its South Fort Meade, Four Corners, Hookers Prairie and Hopewell mines in central Florida. Mosaic anticipates that Fort Green's phosphate reserves will be mined through one or more of Mosaic's current or future mines, and that its reduced overall annual mining operations will extend Mosaic's reserve life in central Florida by approximately 10 years.

Mosaic's Green Bay phosphate fertilizer production plant has the capacity to produce 1.3 million tonnes of di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) and mono-ammonium phosphate (MAP) annually, which are the two most widely used phosphate fertilizer products in the world. The South Pierce fertilizer plant has the annual capacity to produce 730,000 tonnes of triple superphosphate (TSP), which is a more limited-use product than either DAP or MAP. Following the indefinite closure of the South Pierce and Green Bay facilities, Mosaic's total annual phosphate fertilizer production is estimated to be approximately 8.5 million tonnes in fiscal 2007, in addition to approximately 1.0 million tonnes of animal feed phosphate products. Mosaic will remain the world's largest phosphate supplier, and will focus on producing phosphate-based fertilizer and feed products at its larger, more efficient operations in Bartow, New Wales and Riverview, Florida, as well as its two phosphate facilities in Louisiana.

Mosaic expects the indefinite closures will result in the elimination of over 700 jobs. "These decisions were not easy because they impact many of our colleagues who have put forward their best effort, and whose skills will undoubtedly continue to benefit employers and communities in central Florida. We are very grateful for the contributions each has made to our phosphate organization," Corrigan said. "At the same time, however, we are establishing a stronger foundation for Mosaic's future and improved long-term opportunities for the approximately 3,000 remaining Florida employees who will be working to see Mosaic realize its full potential in the years ahead."

Mosaic will continue to own the affected facilities and will work with appropriate regulatory agencies to comply with the requirements of any applicable laws and regulations which relate to its phosphate restructuring activities. Employees affected by Mosaic's restructuring will be eligible for benefits under applicable Mosaic policies, contractual commitments and federal law.

Phelps Dodge scraps plans for sulfur facility

April 10, 2006 - Phelps Dodge Mining Company has stopped plans for two facilities that would process sulfur to sulfuric acid for use at the Safford Mine.  The transload facility in Pima, where train cars would have dropped off containers of elemental sulfur, and the facility at the mine site that would convert the sulfur into sulfuric acid are no longer part of the mine scope. "We have plenty of acid coming out of the Miami smelter," Safford Mine General Manager Steve Holmes said. "Initially, at least, we will be bringing the acid in by trucks."   Arizona Eastern Railroad President and CEO Ed Ellis is confident his company can design, permit and build the rail spur directly to the Safford mine site.  The company filed a waiver with the Surface Transportation Board about a month ago that would allow it to bypass the six-month waiting period. The waiver was granted, allowing the company to fast-track the project.  "That was a critical step, and it started the process," Ellis said. "According to our time-table, in about a year, we will yield a certificate of public necessity, which essentially allows us to build the spur." Ellis said once the company has the necessary permits and approvals, it will take about four to six months to build the spur. Though the location has yet to be determined, the most difficult part of the construction would be a bridge across the Gila River.  "Obviously, we want the safest and most efficient way to transport the acid," Holmes said, "and we hope to do it by rail. That is still our number -one option."  Holmes said, however, that citizens should expect to see a noticeable increase in truck traffic for about six months after the mine is operational.   Arizona Eastern is expecting to invest about $20 million in the project, and much of that money will be returned when Phelps Dodge begins using the line.  Arizona Eastern is also in the second phase of a five-phase project to rehabilitate its track through the area - a necessity if Phelps Dodge is going to be the primary user.   Though Phelps Dodge would be the primary customer initially, the Safford Airport may eventually make use of the line to draw industry to the area.

Kelheim Fibres GmbH Implements Topsoe WSA Technology for Environmental Protection of Viscose Staple Fibre Production

April 10, 2006 - One of Europe's leading viscose staple fibre producers, Kelheim Fibres GmbH in Bavaria, Germany, has decided to implement Topsoe's WSA technology for upgrading their off-gas treatment system. The WSA plant will eliminate hydrogen sulphide and carbon disulphide contained in the off-gases by converting these sulphur compounds into sulphuric acid. The off-gas volume treated is 30,000 Nm³/h, and 200 ton/day of acid is recovered.  Sulphuric acid is a material used in the production of viscose fibres, so in addition to the environmental effect, the recovery of sulphuric acid will entail considerable savings. The WSA plant is very energy efficient, and excess heat of reaction from the process is recovered in the form of high pressure superheated steam. The steam will be used in Kelheim Fibres' power station, thus reducing fuel consumption to the benefit of both the economy and the environment.   The WSA plant at Kelheim Fibres GmbH will be implemented by Lenzing Technik GmbH, Austria, acting as main contractor. Topsoe is supplying all equipment and catalyst for the WSA process plant, and Lenzing Technik GmbH is responsible for various off-site installations, tie-in and erection.  The WSA process is a versatile and energy efficient process for converting sulphur compounds in off-gases into sulphuric acid. More than 50 WSA plants have been implemented or are under construction worldwide be Topsoe, and four of these are for the viscose fibre industry.

Tuticorin Smelter

 April 10, 2006 - The new Tuticorin smelter commissioned in April 2005 is performing well and continues to operate at full capacity.  The Tuticorin smelter will be under shutdown for planned maintenance for a period of 20 days in April 2006.

J.R. Simplot Plans to Increase Production

April 05, 2006 - POCATELLO, Idaho - The J.R. Simplot Co. has requested permission to increase production of sulfuric acid at the No. 300 plant.  The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality is scheduled to issue a permit April 29 that will the plant to increase production by 100 to 150 tons per day from 1750 STPD to 1900 STPD.  The Boise-based company is one of the largest potato processors in the world, and has extensive fertilizer, land and cattle operations. The company supplies McDonald's restaurants with more than half their fries. It uses sulfuric acid to make fertilizer.  Simplot installed new equipment in the plant in 2001, that would allow production of 1,750 tons of sulfuric acid without exceeding allowable emissions standards.  The plant is running cleaner than they had estimated, so the company submitted an application to remove the cap of 1,750 tons per day. He said the increased production wouldn't cause air problems.

However, resident Greg Helm of Pocatello has asked the DEQ for a 30-day public comment period on the permit. He said that when conditions trap air pollutants in the valley during winter inversions, he won't let his two sons go outside.  "Both of them have asthma," he told the Idaho State Journal. "It burns their sinuses. It burns their lungs."  Helm said that if the plant is not exceeding emissions standards already, the standards aren't strict enough.  "I can't stand the smell," he said. "It even bothers me some days. It tears me up. It tears my boys up. They need to step up and let us know what they are doing. Nobody even knows what's going on."

Former Rhodia worker receives $4.2 million judgment for injuries

March 18, 2006 - A former Rhodia worker, who claims he was exposed to sulfur dioxide and other dangerous chemicals while on the job in 2000, was awarded $4.2 million by an East Baton Rouge Parish jury late Thursday.  Larry Adams, 58, who had been a worker at Rhodia for 28 years, claims he was severely injured when the dangerous substances were released from a tank. Adams sued Rhodia, ExxonMobil and the manufacturer of a seal from a tank involved in the release, Protectoseal.  Before trial, Adams agreed to a confidential settlement with Rhodia and Protectoseal, Aidan Reynolds said. Reynolds and Chris Whittington represented Adams during the three-day trial that began Tuesday before state District Judge Janice Clark.

The judgment Thursday was against ExxonMobil.

The chemical release occurred on May 15, 2000, at Tank 10. The tank was a place where Rhodia kept “spent sulfuric acid” — a byproduct of the refining processes at ExxonMobil.  The lawsuit maintains that insoluble hydrocarbons were sent by ExxonMobil via pipeline to the tank along with the spent sulfuric acid. When the substances mixed, the tank over-pressurized, which resulted in the chemical release.   In pretrial court filings, ExxonMobil maintains it would get sulfuric acid from Rhodia to produce high-octane gasoline as well as isopropyl alcohol. After the acid was used by ExxonMobil, the “spent sulfuric acid” was returned to Rhodia.   ExxonMobil noted that Rhodia did an investigation into the incident and found that it was a mixture of substances from another tank with Tank 10 that caused the problem.   “The over-pressurization at Rhodia’s facility was not caused by ExxonMobil, but by other entities, including Rhodia and Protectoseal,” ExxonMobil claims in the pretrial filing.  ExxonMobil also claims that Adams could have prevented the injuries himself by wearing a respirator and taking other precautions.

Reynolds maintains there have been several other chemical releases that are similar to the one that injured Adams, and that Rhodia is considering re-examining the conclusions it reached from the Adams incident.

Copper smelter Cumerio Med to triple output

March 16, 2006 -  Cumerio Med, the Pirdop-based smelter owned by Belgian copper producer Cumerio, will triple copper cathode output to 180,000 tons over the next 3 years, Cumerio Med executive director Tom Beamish told Dnevnik.  The boost will come after the completion of a new production capacity.   In addition to new output capacity, the 82 million euro investment spend also includes the cost of eco facilities.  The company will assemble on a 5.6 ha site waste disposal and treatment facilities in addition to overhauling the run-off piping.   Cumerio bought the Pirdop smelter in 1997 and has so far pumped $240 mln in the core production and environment protection.  Cumerio Med produced 235,000 tons of copper anodes and 55,000 tons of cathodes in 2005 and 830,000 tons of sulphuric acid.

Boliden Commercial AB Live on Time and within Budget with Intentia Supply Chain Planner

Stockholm, Sweden - March 13, 2006 - Intentia announces that Boliden Commercial AB has recently gone live successfully with Intentia Supply Chain Planner. The solution is used to support and optimize the strategic planning and delivery of sulphur products from Boliden´s four production sites in Scandinavia to international markets. For a company that exports sulphuric acid around the world, the optimization of customer deliveries is expected to result in significant cost savings.  For Boliden Commercial AB, part of the Boliden Group and a leading mining and smelting company, freight is a major cost. When the company realized that it would reap financial benefits from improved transportation planning, it selected and implemented Intentia Supply Chain Planner.  "Sulphur products are above all a logistics business, and we bear a great responsibility for keeping the product on the move at all times. Supply Chain Planner is a key tool for us," says Boliden´s Janne Lovén, the vice president of sulphur products.

The optimization in Supply Chain Planner takes into account all the central factors that affect the supply chain, such as production plans, storage capacity, and the need for, conditions and costs of transportation. In addition to basic planning, the application supports quick decision making in demanding, exceptional situations by simulating different alternatives and helping the planner choose the most suitable alternative.   "The project has gone live, on time and within budget, and the solution is something we can lean on. It gives an expert opinion on what should be done. We expect that the use of the tool will reduce our costs and significantly improve our profitability and customer satisfaction," Lovén says.

UGMK Purchases 229 Tank Cars for Its Plants

February 26, 2006 - VERKHNYAYA PYSHMA, Russia (RNWire) - The Ural Mining and Metal Group (UGMK), one of Russia’s most important integrated metals producers, today reports its purchase of 229 tank cars for the transport of sulfuric acid produced by its plants. The supplier is Uralvagonzavod Federal Unitary Enterprise which won a UGMK tender to supply the rail cars for a total sum of RUR304.15 million.

Copper Complex to Open

February 25, 2006 - Lao Cai - The Sin Quyen Copper Complex in northern Lao Cai province will start operation later this year, according to the Viet Nam Coal and Mineral Industries Group.  Work is expected to start in the fourth quarter of 2006, with construction of mines and metallurgy factories already well underway by the Viet Nam Industrial Construction General Corporation, the complex’s chief contractor, and other sub-contractors.  The Complex will be capable of processing 1.1 to 1.2 million tonnes of copper ore per year, in order to produce nearly 42,000 tonnes of pure ore, over 113,000 tonnes of pure iron ore and nearly 20,000 tonnes of pure pyrite ore. Other by-products at the complex will include gold, silver and sulphuric acid.  The total capital investment of the project is nearly VND1.3 trillion.

Landfill Gas Project Going to Cytec

February 16, 2006 - Keying off similar projects in Baton Rouge and Shreveport, Cytec Industries’ chemical manufacturing facility in Waggaman will begin using methane gas generated from waste at the Jefferson Parish Landfill as a renewable energy source for its Sulfuric Acid Regen plant.  Renovar Energy of Midland, Texas, designed all three projects in Louisiana.  Ten years ago, Jefferson Parish began investing $1.5 million in a system designed to capture landfill gas, which is comprised of 50 percent methane and 50 percent carbon dioxide.  Renovar Energy approached Cytec in 2000 with a proposal for the landfill project.  Renovar designed and constructed a gas compressor system and the four-mile pipeline that transfers the gas from the Jefferson Parish Landfill to Cytec’s Sulfuric Acid Regen plant.  The landfill gas will be used as an alternative fuel source to highly priced natural gas.

PVS Chemicals to supply Air Products Europe with of high purity sulphuric acid

February 13, 2006 - Air Products and PVS Chemicals Belgium NV have signed an agreement for the supply of high purity sulphuric acid to the European electronics market. PVS Chemicals recently began production of ultra-pure sulphuric acid at its site in Gent, Belgium. The Belgian location is well positioned to serve customers throughout continental Europe.  The new plant is supported by a new clean room laboratory, which enables a full service offering. The plant has the production capacity to meet a significant portion of the growing market demand.PVS brings 20 years experience of producing high purity sulphuric acid for the semiconductor industry together with a new state of the art facility, located in Belgium," stated Simon Earnshaw, General Manager, Air Products Electronics Europe. "It will provide cost effective supply chain solutions for both bulk and packaged materials... Air Products' experience in handling and delivering products and services to the microelectronics industry combined with PVS's technical ability to produce high purity sulphuric acid will support customers' requirements in terms of quality, packaging solutions, delivery and cost of ownership."

Fertilizer plant resumes some production in Pascagoula

February 3, 2006 - PASCAGOULA, Miss. - Mississippi Phosphates Corp. has resumed production at one of its sulfuric acid plants shut down since Hurricane Katrina hit on Aug. 29.  Company officials said the hurricane severely damaged the diammonium phosphate facility. Officials said repairs were essentially complete.  They said production will also resume at a second sulfuric acid plant, a phosphoric acid plant, and the DAP plant over the next several days. Mississippi Phosphates produces diammonium phosphate fertilizer (DAP) at its production facility in Pascagoula.  The company distributes its fertilizer to both domestic and international markets.

Korean Zinc Company sells Big River Zinc

January 31, 2006 - The world's largest zinc smelter has agreed to sell its idled Big River Zinc Corp. refinery in Sauget to a buyer who plans to re-open it in April.  Seoul-based Korea Zinc Co., the plant's owner since 1996, hasn't disclosed the name of the buyer.  Two months ago, the plans were to shutter Big River Zinc by early February because of surging raw-materials costs. Big River Zinc, one of three zinc refineries in the United States, was squeezed last year by higher costs for zinc ore used to make metals and other products amid soaring demand from China. Supply of the ore has been limited as previously depressed prices led some mines to close and others to scuttle expansion plans.  The plant, which produces 100,000 tons a year of zinc metals, alloys and powders, lost nearly $7 million through the first three quarters of 2005.  Big River Zinc also produces sulfuric acid as well as sulfate monohydrate, which is used in animal feed and fertilizer.  Most of the plant's customers are within several hundred miles. Its biggest are U.S. Steel Corp.'s plant in Granite City and Steel Dynamics Inc. of Fort Wayne, Ind.  The plant has seen ups and downs over the years. It was closed from 1971 to 1973 and has gone through several ownership changes in recent decades.

David Masotti Appointed President & Chief Operating Officer of Chemtrade Logistics

TORONTO, January 18, 2006 - Mark Davis, Chief Executive Officer of Chemtrade Logistics Income Fund (TSX: CHE.UN) announced today that David Masotti has been appointed President & Chief Operating Officer of Chemtrade, effective January 23, 2006.  Mr. Masotti was most recently resident of Rogers Telecom Inc., prior to which he held senior management positions, including those of president and CEO in a variety of industrial and logistics companies. Mr. Masotti holds a professional engineering degree from Queen's University and a master's degree in business administration from Harvard University.
Mr. Davis said, "David brings a wealth of operations experience to Chemtrade, including business integrations and a successful track record of achieving growth and performance improvement through leadership, team-building, strategic focus and operational excellence. These are qualities that are perfectly suited to Chemtrade's increased scale, diversity and complexity of operations."  Mr. Masotti replaces Claudio D'Ambrosio who is currently on medical leave. Mr. Davis said Mr. D'Ambrosio will not rejoin Chemtrade full time but will be available as a consultant when his health permits.

Japanese Copper Firms to Buy Transport Ship for US$39 million

January 17, 2006 - Nippon Mining & Metals Co. and Mitsui Mining & Smelting Co., which integrated copper refining operations, will invest in a new ship to transport copper concentrate, an intermediary copper material. The companies will invest about 4.5 billion yen (US$39 million) to add a new ship in the summer of 2008.   With the vessel, the companies will increase their annual transport volume of copper concentrate and related material to 215,000 tons, which is up about 63 per cent from the present amount.  The vessel will transport copper concentrate from Chile to Japan and South Korea and will export sulphuric acid, a byproduct of copper refining, from Japan to Chile.