Sulphuric Acid -
NEWS
Updated January 5, 2024
2021
Nyrstar to place French operations on care and maintenance
SNC-Lavalin to assess sulphuric acid plant options at Ammaroo phosphate
project
China Nerin Engineering wins Kamoa direct-to-blister copper plant
contract
Nuberg EPC Wins Two Sulphuric Acid Plant Projects in Egypt and Ethiopia
Itafos Announces Restart of Sulfuric Acid Plant at Arraias
ioneer awards sulphuric acid plant contract to DuPont Clean Technologies
Nyrstar fined $35,000 for toxic acid spill into waterways near Port
Pirie lead smelter
Sumitomo Chemical to Expand Production Capacity for High-Purity
Chemicals for Semiconductors
Price increase for Haldor Topsoe’s sulfuric acid catalysts
Ineos Completes Sale of Sulphur Chemicals Business
Dupont Clean Technology increases global MECS catalyst prices
Eurochem to acquire Yara's Brazil phosphates project
M Naveen Patnaik lays foundation of third plant at IFFCO in Odisha
Expansion of Boliden Odda and more zinc with world-leading climate
performance
Metso Outotec to provide copper smelting engineering, tech to PT
Freeport’s Manyar project
ANDRITZ to Supply the World’s First Sulfuric Acid Plant in A Pulp Mill,
Producing Commercial-grade, Concentrated Sulfuric Acid for Klabin’s
Ortigueira
Klabin builds first integrated sulfuric acid plant in Brazil
Buffalo chemical plant owner disputes state shutdown order
Copper bounces back as bullish investors bet on shortages
Acid squeeze latest obstacle facing giant copper mines
UK sulphuric acid buyers 'in a panic' as INEOS ends domestic production
Glencore's KCC mine in Congo had acid spill on March 16
International Private-Equity Consortium to Acquire DuPont Clean
Technologies for $5190 Million
Nuberg EPC Wins 500 TPD Sprea Misr Sulphuric Acid Plant Project in
Ramadan, Egypt
Vedanta mine
settles Zambian villagers' pollution claim
Glencore in final
talks over Mopani sale
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Nyrstar to place French operations on care and maintenance
December 17, 2021 - The decision comes in response to a
significant rise in power prices in France. Belgium-based global
metals firm Nyrstar plans to place its operations in Auby, France, on
care and maintenance from the first week of January 2022, due to
increasing power prices. The decision comes in response to
significantly increased current and anticipated future prices of
electricity in the country. In a press statement, Nyrstar said:
“Power prices, already at historically high levels across Europe, have
continued to rise in recent weeks in France, in excess of neighbouring
European countries. “This is as a result of low availability of
nuclear power, high carbon-related costs passed on by power companies
and reduced fixed-price allowances for the industry.” Nyrstar said
that electricity prices in early 2022 in France could stay high and
volatile. During the care and maintenance period, the firm plans
to undertake maintenance and continue planned investment into the
project. Furthermore, employees at the Auby operations would be
redirected to work on training maintenance and investment projects.
The firm plans to resume production at Auby once it is economically
viable. In Auby, Nyrstar operates a mid-scale electrolytic zinc
smelter, which produces cathodes as finished products. It uses both zinc
concentrates and zinc secondaries as feedstock. The smelter is
designed to process a high percentage of secondary feed material to
produce SHG cathode and some extra pure quality cathodes. The site
also produces by-products of sulphuric acid, Auby Leach Product, copper
and indium. Nystar will continue to run its three European
operations in France, Belgium and the Netherlands, though with a
production reduction of up to 50% due to high power prices.
SNC-Lavalin to assess sulphuric acid
plant options at Ammaroo phosphate project
December 7, 2021 - SNC-Lavalin Group says it will undertake a
definitive feasibility study for Verdant Minerals’ Ammaroo phosphate
project in the Northern Territory of Australia. The group is
providing engineering and procurement services to assess the feasibility
of a 4,500 t/d sulphuric acid plant, which will be part of a
fully-integrated mine and downstream processing facility to produce
ammonium phosphate fertilisers. This sulphuric acid plant will use
DuPont Clean Technologies’ MECS® technologies to minimise SO2 emissions,
rendering the plant more sustainable in the long term, SNC-Lavalin said.
MECS Heat Recovery System (HRS) technology will also be used to recover
medium pressure steam from the sulphuric acid plant, an energy now
captured instead of being wasted, providing the majority of energy
requirements for the site and removing the need to have additional
sources of energy. This will maximise energy efficiency while
reducing the overall facility’s reliance on energy supply from external
sources and overall lessen its carbon footprint, SNC-Lavalin added.
Initial development of Ammaroo could produce in the order of 2 Mt/y of
phosphate concentrate, with further downstream processing resulting in
500,000 t/y of merchant-grade phosphoric acid (100% P2O5) for domestic
and global markets, Verdant says. Patrick Sikka, Vice-President,
North America, Mining & Metallurgy at SNC-Lavalin, said: “We are proud
to be working with Verdant Minerals on this project to develop a
world-class sulphuric acid plant as part of its major new mine and
processing development, ensuring the long-term sustainability of its
operations.”
China Nerin Engineering wins Kamoa direct-to-blister copper
plant contract
November 18, 2021 - Ivanhoe Mines has awarded a 500,000 tonnes per annum
direct-to-blister copper smelting plant contract for the Kamoa-Kakula
Complex to China Nerin Engineering. The smelter will be the most
extensive of its kind in Africa and one of the largest single-line flash
smelters in the world. The $700 million project is expected to
speed along Ivanhoe’s ambition to produce environmentally sustainable
‘green copper’ to feed into the emerging global energy transition.
The smelter, supplied by Finland’s Metso Autotec, has been sized to
process most of the copper concentrate forecast to be produced by
Kamoa-Kakula’s Phase 1, 2 and 3 concentrators. The smelter is
expected to be built concurrently with the project’s Phase 3 mine and
concentrator expansion over the next three years and the upgrading of
turbine five at the Inga II hydropower complex. Ivanhoe says an
onsite smelting facility has compelling cost and environmental benefits,
including reducing the volume of copper concentrate shipped from the
mine by about 50%-plus and the associated logistics costs, export taxes
and concentrate treatment charges. The smelter also will produce
sulphuric acid as a by-product, creating a new revenue stream for Kamoa
Copper. According to Ivanhoe, there is a strong demand and market for
sulphuric acid in the DRC to recover copper from oxide ores.
Kamoa-Kakula currently is producing an extremely high-grade, clean
copper concentrate containing approximately 55% copper and low levels of
arsenic by world standards – about 0.01%. Approximately 35% of
Kamoa-Kakula’s Phase 1 concentrate is sent to the local Lualaba smelter
for processing into blister copper ingots – containing approximately 99%
copper – while the remainder is transported via trucks and ships to
international smelters for treatment. Kakula is projected to be
the world’s highest-grade major copper mine, with an initial mining rate
of 3.8 million tonnes per annum at an estimated average feed grade of
more than 6% copper over the first five years of operations and 5.9%
copper over the initial 10 years of operations. Phase 1 is
expected to produce about 200,000 tonnes of copper per year, while the
Phase 2 expansion is forecast to increase production to about 400,000
tonnes of copper annually. Kamoa Copper is on track to complete the
Phase 2 expansion in the second quarter of 2022. Based on
independent benchmarking, the project’s phased expansion scenario to 19
million tonnes per annum would position Kamoa-Kakula as the world’s
second-largest copper mining complex, with peak annual copper production
of more than 800,000 tonnes. The operation yielded its maiden
profit in the first full quarter
of operations. On November 15, the company reported a profit of $85.4
million for the three months to September 30. The Kamoa-Kakula
project is a joint venture between Ivanhoe Mines (39.6%), Zijin Mining
Group (39.6%), Crystal River Global Limited (0.8%) and the Government of
the DRC (20%).
Nuberg EPC Wins Two Sulphuric Acid
Plant Projects in Egypt and Ethiopia
October 21, 2021 - Leading Indian Global EPC
and turnkey project management company, Nuberg EPC today announced
winning two Sulphuric Acid plant projects in Gamasa City, Egypt and
Oromia, Ethiopia. The 500 MTPD + 5MW Rating STG Set in Egypt and 50 TPD
Sulfuric Acid + 40 TPD Aluminium Sulphate Project in Ethiopia have been
won on EPC & LSTK basis. The Egypt project is scheduled to be delivered
in 22 months and the Ethiopia project in 15 months from the contract LC
opening date. These projects are an acknowledgement of Nuberg
EPC's advanced Sulphuric Acid technology - Double Contact Double
Absorption (DCDA) and execution capability. In this process, the product
gases Sulphur Dioxide (SO2) and Sulfur Trioxide (SO3) are passed through
absorption towers twice to achieve further absorption and production of
higher-grade sulfuric acid. Before this, the company has built more than
seven Sulfuric Acid plants in Saudi
Arabia, India, Egypt, Turkey, Bangladesh, and Oman. Over the years,
Nuberg EPC has established itself as a world-class Sulphuric Acid EPC-
LSTK supplier. This is also the fifth turnkey project in Egypt. The
others include a Caustic Soda plant for the Egyptian Petrochemical
Company in Alexandria, a Calcium Chloride plant for TCI Sanmar Chemicals
in Port Said, a Sulphuric Acid plant for AGROCHEM in Alexandria, and a
500 MTPD Sulphuric Acid Plant for Sprea Misr in Ramadan City, Egypt.
Sulfuric Acid finds its way in a wide range of applications in the
hydrocarbon (oil & gas) industry and is one of the most important
industrial chemicals. The major use of sulfuric acid is in the
production of fertilizers, in petroleum refining to wash impurities out
of gasoline, in derivatives, and other refinery & petrochemical
products, in processing metals, and in automobiles as the electrolyte in
the lead-acid storage battery. Whereas Aluminium Sulphate is a chemical
used as a coagulant in the purification of drinking water, in paper
sizing, and other industrial applications in the country. On being
awarded the project, Mr. A. K. Tyagi, MD, Nuberg EPC commented, "We look
forward to further strengthen the faith of the clients in our Sulphuric
Acid turnkey project expertise and engineering talent. The whole
industry faced challenging times last one year and yet we managed to
deliver to our commitments in time. We will be looking forward to
delivering ahead of schedule for an early start to our clients."
He further stated, "Nuberg EPC's scope of services for these projects
include Process Design & Technology including Product and Technology
Development, Process Know-how & Licensing, Basic Engineering, Front End
Engineering Design (FEED), Construction Management, Operation &
Maintenance, Detailed Engineering, Project Management, Commissioning,
EPC & LSTK Solutions, Heavy Fabrication, and start-up of the plant."
Nuberg EPC has been providing plant design, engineering, technology, and
turnkey solutions to the sulphuric acid industry for 25 years. Nuberg
EPC is a global technology supplier and licenser for Sulfuric Acid
Plants. The company has its own technology specially designed and
developed to increase the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of Sulphuric
Acid plants. The company is a global leader for executing turnkey
Chemical and Fertilizer projects worldwide. As one of the
fastest-growing EPC companies in chlor alkali/caustic soda, hydrogen
peroxide, sulfuric acid, and calcium chloride, Nuberg EPC serves in the
chemicals & fertilizers, hydrocarbon, steel, and nuclear & defence
industries worldwide.
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Both plants to use Nuberg-owned Sulphuric
Acid technology
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Prestigious project during the pandemic
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Nuberg EPC has built more than seven
Sulphuric Acid projects worldwide
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Projects won from International Company
for Chemical Industry and Chemical Industry Corporation – Awash
Melkassa Chemical Factory (CIC-AMCF), Ethiopia and International
Company for Chemical Industry (ICCI), Egypt
Itafos Announces Restart of Sulfuric Acid Plant at Arraias
October 20, 2021 - Itafos Inc. announced today its decision to
restart the sulfuric acid plant at Arraias. The recommissioning of the
sulfuric acid plant at Arraias is expected to be completed over a
four-month timeframe in order to commence sulfuric acid sales during Q1
2022. “There continues to be significant demand for fertilizer
products globally, including sulfuric acid in our Brazilian markets.
Restarting our sulfuric acid plant at Arraias provides us with an
opportunity to supply market demand at positive margins while we
continue to evaluate strategic alternatives,” said G. David Delaney, CEO
of Itafos. Arraias’ sulfuric acid plant has production capacity of
220kt per year. The sulfuric acid plant, as well as the remainder of the
infrastructure associated with Arraias’ vertically integrated phosphate
fertilizer business, has been idled since Q4 2019. The remainder of
Arraias’ key infrastructure, including its mine, beneficiation plant,
acidulation plant and granulation plant are expected to remain idled
following best practices. The restart of the sulfuric acid plant
at Arraias is independent of the previously announced stage-gate restart
program launched during Q2 2020. The next deliverable related to the
stage-gate restart program remains the completion of a revised
geological model and long-term mine plan of the Domingos pit, which is
expected to be completed during Q4 2021.
ioneer awards sulphuric acid plant
contract to DuPont Clean Technologies
September 7, 2021 - DuPont Clean Technologies has been awarded
a contract for the license, engineering and supply of equipment to a
planned sulphuric acid plant at Rhyolite Ridge lithium-boron project in
the US state of Nevada. DuPont will work with its Canadian
engineering partner SNC-Lavalin on the design of the 3,500
tonnes-per-day capacity plant, providing its proprietary MECS sulphuric
acid production technology to ensure ultra-low emissions by world
standards. The technology was developed by US-based chemicals firm
MECs Inc prior to DuPont acquiring the company as a subsidiary in 2010.
It produces marketable sulphuric acid using a sulphur by-product from
chemical processes which would otherwise be released into the
atmosphere. DuPont’s contract with ioneer is conditional on
Rhyolite Ridge receiving final investment decision from ioneer’s board
of directors. ioneer managing director Bernard Rowe said the
DuPont contract will enhance the environment-friendly nature of the
company’s flagship project. “Our core commitment is to produce
essential materials in an environmentally and socially responsible and
sustainable manner through lowered emissions, reduced water usage and a
minimal surface footprint,” he said. “We are delighted to welcome
DuPont [as] a world-leader in clean technology and emissions control to
help deliver this tier one project in the US.” Employing advanced
technologies, the Rhyolite Ridge plant will be built to meet Nevada’s
stringent Class II air quality and water pollution control standards.
In June, ioneer received a Class II permit from the state’s Bureau of
Air Pollution Control, ticking a box required for the commencement of
project construction in late 2024. DuPont will supply ioneer with
its latest generation MECS Super GEAR catalyst and other critical
proprietary equipment to convert sulphur into commercial-grade sulphuric
acid, which will be used to leach lithium and boron from crushed rock.
Heat released during the process will be recovered to produce steam for
the 35 megawatts of electricity required to power the entire Rhyolite
Ridge operation. Successful generation of the electricity means
ioneer will not have to rely on the grid for its power needs. The
heat will also be used for evaporation and crystallisation processes
required to produce lithium carbonate and boric acid. When
complete, Rhyolite Ridge will be an energy-independent operation, using
primarily co-generated, zero-carbon power. It is expected to
produce 20,600 tonnes per annum of lithium carbonate, converting in the
fourth year of operation to 22,000tpa of battery-grade lithium hydroxide
and 174,400tpa of boric acid.
Nyrstar fined $35,000 for toxic acid spill into waterways near
Port Pirie lead smelter
August 30, 2021 - The owners of Port Pirie's
lead smelter have been fined $35,000 for a series of failures that led
to 700 litres of "toxic" sulphuric acid leaking from the plant into
waterways and mangroves near the town. Nyrstar caused material
environmental harm by polluting the environment through toxic waste
leakage between January 31 and February 2, 2019 — the extent of that
harm could not be quantified. The Environment, Resources and
Development Court previously heard the company did not respond for about
eight hours as it made "a wrong assumption" that the leak only contained
weak acid. Judge Paul Muscat said the case was not a "flagrant
disregard" by Nyrstar and sat at the lower end of the scale. "An
incident of this general nature was not entirely unforeseeable and
effective mechanisms to prevent it could — and should — have been
implemented," he said. "The incident was not caused by a single
error but a combination of small failures in processes and human error
that led to environment harm. "These systems and processes were
clearly insufficiently designed and not implemented to the required
standard. "The harm in this case is to be limited to potential
environmental harm that is not trivial." The acid leak occurred
when the systems the Nyrstar had in place to prevent a spillage
"failed", with sulphuric acid corroding a wrongly installed valve on the
very system designed to safeguard against leakage. It led to "a
slug" of acid filtering into the waterways. The Environment
Protection Authority previously — in seeking a penalty of up to $120,000
— told the court the leak increased the presence of heavy metals in the
natural and manmade waterways that were toxic to aquatic life, but it
could not be "conclusively proven" that the acid leak was responsible
for killing fish, as there was an algal bloom present at the same time.
A spokesperson for Nyrstar said quick action was taken after the spill
to replace the affected valve. "Nyrstar also made adjustments and
upgrades to ancillary equipment to reduce the likelihood of further
spills, and improved its monitoring and response processes to better
manage potential spills," the spokesperson said. "Nyrstar has
fully cooperated from the outset with the EPA investigation and
subsequent court proceedings. "In addition, it undertook its own
investigation and shared its data and findings with the EPA.
"Since the date of the spill, Nystar's new management has driven further
significant environment- and safety-related upgrades at the Port Pirie
site." Judge Muscat gave Nyrstar credit for addressing the
inefficiencies in its systems. The company has also been ordered
to pay costs of $5,000.
Sumitomo Chemical to Expand Production Capacity for
High-Purity Chemicals for Semiconductors
August 24, 2021 - Sumitomo Chemical Co. plans to expand its
production capacity for high-purity chemicals for semiconductors. The
Company will install new production lines to double the capacity for
high-purity sulfuric acid at its Ehime Works (Niihama city, Ehime,
Japan) and increase the capacity for high-purity ammonia water at the
Iksan Plant of Dongwoo Fine-Chem Co., Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary in
South Korea, by approximately 40%. The new production lines are due to
commence operation in the first half of fiscal 2024 for Ehime Works, and
the second half of fiscal 2023 for the Iksan Plant. High-purity
chemicals used in the semiconductor production process, mainly for
precision cleaning, are manufactured by using ultra-high purification
technology to reduce impurities down to a parts-per-trillion level in
order to prevent foreign materials such as metal and organic impurities
from affecting both quality and yield of semiconductors. Sumitomo
Chemical’s products meet those stringent requirements and possess
superior quality stability as the company takes thorough measures to
eliminate impurities in every step from manufacturing to delivery and
has put in place a rigorous quality assurance system based on nano-scale
impurity analytical technology. With Dongwoo Fine-Chem operating two
production bases, the Pyeongtaek and Iksan Plants, in South Korea and
Sumika Electronic Materials (Xi’an) Co., Ltd. and Sumika Electronic
Materials (Changzhou) Co., Ltd., subsidiaries in China, manufacturing
and selling high-purity chemicals in the country, the Sumitomo Chemical
Group has built a global supply system focused on being close to its
customers’ production sites. The semiconductor device market has
continued to grow, driven by demand for 5G smartphones and, amid
lifestyle changes, increased demand for personal computers and data
center-related equipment. Against this backdrop, demand for high-purity
chemicals, which are essential to the semiconductor production process,
is expected to continue to increase strongly. By the capacity expansion
both in Ehime and Korea, the Sumitomo Chemical Group will provide a
stable supply of high-purity chemicals.
www.chemengonline.com
Price increase for Haldor Topsoe’s
sulfuric acid catalysts
Haldor Topsoe has increased its prices for
sulfuric acid catalysts with €0.25/L.
The increase is driven by a substantial
increase in the price of vanadium, which is a necessary raw material for
sulfuric acid catalysts. The price adjustment will take effect
immediately.
The VK sulfuric acid catalysts provide
excellent activity over a wide range of operating conditions. This leads
to unprecedented reductions in SO2 emissions and make it easy
to comply with stringent environmental regulation. VK catalysts also
gives sulfuric acid producers the option to boost production volumes
with no additional emissions
Ineos Completes Sale of Sulphur Chemicals Business
August 11, 2021 - Ineos Enterprises (London, U.K.) has
announced completion of the sale of its Sulphur Chemicals business to
International Chemical Investors Group. Ineos’ Sulphur Chemicals
business is Spain’s largest dedicated manufacturer of sulfuric acid and
oleum serving end-applications ranging from agriculture to chemical
intermediates. Its 400,000-ton manufacturing facility is located in
Bilbao, Northern Spain. The business will become part of
WeylChem’s advanced intermediates and reagents portfolio, which includes
an existing sulphuric acid and oleum plant located in Lamotte, Northern
France. WeylChem is wholly owned by the International Chemical
Investors Group. The agreement is an important step in the
continued development of both businesses and presents new opportunities
to the 50 employees based in Bilbao as they join what will be one of the
leading European Sulphur Chemicals companies. “I am very pleased
to have completed the sale of the INEOS Sulphur Chemicals business,
which now becomes part of a strategic business unit within International
Chemical Investors Group,” said Ashley Reed CEO INEOS Enterprises. “The
business is an attractive addition to WeylChem’s advanced intermediates
and reagents portfolio that will help secure future development and
growth, to meet customer needs in Europe.” Dr. Uwe Brunk CEO
WeylChem Group of Companies states “This acquisition underlines our
commitment to bolstering our position as a strategic partner in advanced
intermediates and reagents. INEOS Sulphur Chemicals and our French
operations at WeylChem Lamotte complement each other perfectly. This
combined business will be an agile, customer-focused player with
superior services and supply certainty provided to demanding customers
across Europe.” The consideration for the transaction is not
disclosed.
Dupont Clean Technology increases
global MECS catalyst prices
August 10, 2021 - DuPont Clean Technologies
(DuPont) has announced a global price increase of US$0.30/l for its
MECS® sulfuric acid catalyst products. Subject to the terms of
applicable contracts, the new pricing will take effect immediately.
Eurochem to acquire Yara's Brazil phosphates project
August 2, 2021 - Russia-based fertilizer producer Eurochem has signed an
agreement to purchase the Serra do Salitre phosphates project in Brazil
from Norway's Yara. The project, located in southeastern Brazil's
Minas Gerais, is scheduled to bring on stream a 1mn t/yr phosphates
plant, producing MAP/NP, as well as SSP and TSP, in 2023. The project
will reach its target output in 2024, Eurochem forecasts. The
project has a 1.2mn t/yr phosphate rock capacity, with rock reserves of
over 350mn t. The mine and beneficiation plant are already
operating, producing 500,000-600,000t of phosphate rock. The project
will also include a sulphuric acid plant, a phosphoric acid plant and a
400,000t storage facility for finished fertilizers. Eurochem will
purchase the project, into which Yara entered in 2014, through a shares
purchase with a cash consideration of $410mn. The transaction will be
completed in six months, subject to regulatory approval, Yara expects.
Yara had taken full control of the Serra do Salitre project after
completing the purchase of the remaining 40pc stake in Galvani
Industria, Comercio e Servicos, as announced in October 2018. Brazil is
an agricultural powerhouse and the world's largest importer of MAP
fertilizer, with imports hitting a record 4.76mn t last year. The
country is a top producer of soybeans, for which phosphate-based
fertilizers are key. Brazil is set to produce 144mn t of soybeans in
2021-22, according to latest US Department of Agriculture (USDA)
projections. Eurochem has increasingly sharpened its focus on
Latin America in recent years, increasing fertilizer sales to the region
to 5.09mn t in 2020, up by a fifth on the year. Eurochem last year
shifted trade flows of phosphate fertilizers, largely in favour of Latin
America, after the levying of duties on Russian-origin fertilizers by
the US Department of Commerce in February. Latin America accounted for a
quarter of total sales last year, with Brazil taking 22pc, Eurochem
said. Yara retains a notable presence in Brazil, expanding its
operations with the recent inauguration of a granulation complex with
targeted output up to 1.2mn t/yr in the southern state of Rio Grande do
Sul, as announced at the end of March this year. The firm also operates
major complexes in Sao Paulo state, with a production facility in
Cubatao purchased from mining firm Vale in 2018, as well as the Paulinia
SSP facility. Yara's fertilizer sales to Brazil dropped
by 4pc to 2.21mn t in the second quarter.
CM Naveen Patnaik lays foundation of third plant
at IFFCO in Odisha
July 24, 2021 - India’s largest fertilizer
manufacturer, IFFCO is expanding its sulphuric acid production capacity
by the installation of the third plant with a capacity of 2,000 metric
tonne (MT) per day. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, on Friday, laid
the foundation stone for yet another project at Indian Farmers
Fertiliser Cooperative Ltd (IFFCO), Paradip, virtually. The project
conceptualised in January this year at an estimated cost of Rs 400
crore, is targeted to be operational in 2023. The plant will be
built using latest technology to ensure lowest emission levels. Apart
from producing sulphuric acid which is used for production of DAP/NPK
fertilizers, it will also recover the process heat in the form of high
pressure steam, used as a source of energy for power generation as well
as other process requirements. The new plant will reduce
dependence on import of the chemical, utilisation of waste heat-based
energy to reduce burden on the power generation sector, contribute to
climate change initiatives by reducing carbon emission and greenhouse
gases, generate employment and contribute to overall economic
development. Technology selection and ordering process for the
plant is currently in progress. Thanking the CM for his support,
Managing Director US Awasthi said this plant is yet another step by
IFFCO in their commitment towards the farmers of the country. Also
present on the occasion were K J Patel, Unit Head of IFFCO, Paradip,
along with his team and representatives from Employees’ Union and
Officers Association.
www.newindianexpress.com
Expansion of Boliden Odda and more zinc with world-leading
climate performance
July 21, 2021 - Boliden has decided to invest in the expansion of
Boliden Odda in Norway to an annual zinc production of 350 Ktonnes. The
investment is for a total of EUR 700 m and will be completed at the end
of 2024. The expansion means that the production of zinc with
world-leading climate performance will almost double. Today,
Boliden Odda has an annual production capacity of 200 Ktonnes of zinc.
The operation will be supplied with fossil-free electricity, and waste
deposition will take place in mountin caverns using unique, sustainable
technology. The investment will mean an increase in the annual
production capacity for zinc to 350 Ktonnes and substantially improved
productivity while also avoiding a significant amount of future
maintenance. In addition to zinc, it will also be possible to extract
the bi-metals lead, gold and silver. The increased production capacity
together with improved energy efficiency and a new, long-term contract
for the supply of fossil-free electricity means a further reduction in
the already low carbon dioxide intensity. All of the environmental
permits for the operation have been obtained. "This is one of the
largest investments in Boliden's history. By increasing the production
of zinc with the highest climate performance while also improving
resource efficiency and productivity, we are setting a new standard for
zinc smelting both in terms of sustainability performance and cost
effectiveness," says Mikael Staffas, President and CEO, Boliden.
The investment also includes several new facilities at Boliden Odda,
including a new roaster, a new sulphuric acid plant, expansion and
modernization of the leaching and the purification plant, a new
cellhouse and expansion of the foundry and quay infrastructure. The
major part of the total investment of EUR 700 m will be carried out
during 2022 and 2023. The expansion project also means that the level of
digitization and automation in the operation will increase, which will
help improve productivity. As a result of this significant technological
development, Boliden Odda has been granted investment support by Enova
and Innovasjon Norge.
Metso Outotec to provide copper smelting engineering, tech to PT
Freeport’s Manyar project
July 21, 2021 - Metso Outotec has signed a major engineering and
technology contract as well as licence agreements for the delivery of
what it says is a landmark copper smelter complex to be built in Gresik,
East Java, in Indonesia. The project owner is PT Freeport
Indonesia, with PT Chiyoda International Indonesia being the
engineering, procurement and construction contractor. Four-fifths of the
approximately €360 million ($424 million) contract has been booked in
the company’s Metals’ September quarter order intake and the rest in
Minerals’ September quarter order intake, it said. Metso Outotec’s
scope of delivery is based on the licensed Metso Outotec Flash Smelting,
Flash Converting and Lurec® technology. It includes the design and
supply of key process equipment and process control systems for the main
areas of the smelter complex, the copper electrolytic refinery, the gas
cleaning and sulphuric acid plant, the slag concentrator and the
effluent treatment plant. Metso Outotec has previously provided
certain front-end engineering design and other advance engineering
services for this 1.7 Mt/y copper concentrate smelter complex, which is
expected to be commissioned in 2024. According to PT Freeport, the
Manyar smelter will be the largest copper processing site in the world
upon start up. Pekka Vauramo, President & CEO, Metso Outotec,
said: “Our joint efforts with Freeport Indonesia and Chiyoda will set a
new standard for the copper smelter industry in fulfilling the strictest
international environmental standards and efficiency requirements. We
are very happy to work together to implement this game changing copper
smelter.” Jari Ålgars, President, Metals business area at Metso
Outotec, added: “We have worked with Freeport Indonesia and Chiyoda for
several years to ensure and select the best available process design and
technologies for the Manyar project.” Metso Outotec has delivered
51 Copper Flash Smelters around the world, with the company’s Copper
Flash Smelting the most widely applied technology for copper smelting in
the world, it said. The solution is also one of its Planet Positive
solutions. Using this technology, Metso Outotec’s customers avoided more
than 1.6 Mt of CO2 emissions in 2020, the company said.
https://im-mining.com/
Freeport Indonesia cancels Tsingshan copper smelter plans
July 15, 2021 - American mining giant Freeport McMoRan will not proceed
with plans to build a new copper smelter with China’s Tsingshan Holding
Group, its local Indonesian unit, PT Freeport Indonesia’s spokesman told
Reuters on Thursday. Indonesian authorities have for months said
that a deal would be made between Freeport Indonesia and the Chinese
steel and nickel company to build a new copper smelter worth $2.8
billion. “(We) could not reach an agreement,” Freeport Indonesia’s
spokesman Riza Pratama said. Instead, Freeport Indonesia will go ahead
with plans to build a new smelter near its existing copper refining
operations in Gresik, East Java. Freeport Indonesia separately
announced on Thursday that it had signed an engineering, procurement and
construction (EPC) contract with Japanese engineering company Chiyoda to
build the new Gresik smelter, which will have a capacity of 1.7 million
tonnes of copper concentrate a year. The two companies will also
build a precious metal refinery nearby. “This contract signing
affirms Freeport Indonesia’s commitment to build a smelter in accordance
with divestment agreement in 2018,” PT Freeport Indonesia president
director Tony Wenas said in the statement, without disclosing how much
the deal was worth.
Tsingshan Holding Group did not immediately respond to requests
for comments. The new copper smelter that it wanted to build with
Freeport in Weda Bay would have been Tsingshan’s first copper project.
It is building nickel and aluminum smelters in Indonesia.
www.reuters.com
ANDRITZ to Supply the World’s First
Sulfuric Acid Plant in A Pulp Mill, Producing Commercial-grade,
Concentrated Sulfuric Acid for Klabin’s Ortigueira
The plant will be the first of its kind
worldwide and is designed to produce 150 tons of commercial-grade (>98%)
sulfuric acid per day from concentrated odorous gases and elemental
sulfur. It will serve Klabin’s Puma I and Puma II pulp lines at
Ortigueira once completed and make Klabin’s Ortigueira site completely
self-sufficient in sulfuric acid. ANDRITZ will supply
technologies on EPCC basis for elemental sulfur handling, sulfur and
Concentrated Non-Condensable Gases (CNCG) combustion to form sulfur
dioxide (SO2), sulfur dioxide conversion into concentrated (98% by wt.)
sulfuric acid, and a flue gas handling system. The sulfuric acid plant
uses wet-gas sulfuric acid (WSA) technology developed by Haldor Topsoe.
The WSA technology has been proven in more than 150 references in many
industries. Once the sulfuric acid plant has been
started up, it will help Klabin to control the sodium and sulfur (Na/S)
balance and the sulfidity of the mill. Also, the resource efficiency of
the Ortigueira site will be improved because less sulfate needs to be
discharged due to the optimized Na/S balance, there is less truck
traffic to the mill due to the chemical savings, and there is also less
hazardous truck traffic because sulfur is transported in solid form and
not as an acid. The sulfuric acid plant meets very strict air emission
limits and does not produce any waste streams. The
technology used for this plant is based on ANDRITZ’s self-developed
A-Recovery+ concept that enables pulp mills to extract side streams from
the pulping process and turn them into commercial-grade
products/commodities. ANDRITZ recently completed successful start-up of
the world’s first methanol purification plant based on the A-Recovery+
concept. A-Recovery+ now also offers solutions for the treatment of
odorous gases in the pulp and paper industry as well as for production
of sulfuric acid from these gases.
www.newswiretoday.com
Klabin builds first integrated sulfuric acid plant in
Brazil
May 19, 2021 - Klabin is building at the Puma II Project, together with
the new packaging paper production line in Ortigueira, Paraná, the first
ever sulfuric acid plant integrated to a pulp and paper mill in Brazil,
which will make the unit self-sufficient in producing the acid. Supplied
by Andritz, the plant will reuse the residual gases from the wood
cooking process to transform them into sulfuric acid, which will be used
during the production of pulp and paper at the mill. Sulfuric acid
is one of the main raw materials of a pulp mill. “Construction of such a
plant means intelligently using the sub-products generated throughout
the production chain as economically viable and ecologically sustainable
products, thereby adding value to our production,” says Walter Oliveira,
project manager at the Recovery & Utilities area in Klabin.
Sulfuric acid is used in several components of the production process,
such as drying machines, the tall oil plant and fiber lines, among
others. This new technology, besides being aligned with the
sustainability that Klabin seeks to implement in all phases of the
process using environmentally responsible technologies, also enables
cost reduction through inhouse production of sulfuric acid.
Buffalo chemical plant owner disputes state shutdown order
May 16, 2021 - The owners of a chemical plant in Buffalo are disputing a
shutdown order issued by the state over sulfur dioxide emissions. The
New York Department of Environmental Conservation on Saturday directed
PVS Chemical Solutions to cease operations at its plant in the
Seneca-Babcock neighborhood after high sulfur dioxide emissions were
detected at nearby athletic fields. “Until PVS can prove it can
operate without emitting potentially harmful SO2 into this community,
either by altering operations or scaling back production, it should
remain shuttered,” DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos said in a statement.
In its own statement, the Detroit-based company said the shutdown “is
not justified in any way" and said it has safely processed sulfuric acid
at the plant for 40 years. The company added it was given no warning
about the closure order during discussions with the DEC as recently as
Friday. PVS said it “will tone down operations while we work with
the DEC through the courts to remedy this situation," the Buffalo News
reported. Complaints about sulfur dioxide odors led the DEC to put
an air monitoring trailer near the athletic fields last year, and the
agency issued notices of violation after excess levels were detected,
according to the newspaper. www.romesentinel.com
Copper bounces back as bullish investors bet on shortages
May 12, 2021 - Copper prices rebounded as investors renewed their buying
spree, hoping that supply constraints and buoyant demand would push the
market to new peaks. Three-month copper on the London Metal
Exchange (LME) had gained 0.8 per cent to $US10,465 a tonne by 1600 GMT
after a volatile session the previous day, when it touched a record high
before retreating to close in the red. LME copper notched a record
peak of $US10,747.50 on Monday, having gained nearly 40 per cent so far
this year. Comex copper rose 0.8 per cent to $US4.75 a lb.
“Physical demand in China is still quite healthy. There’s also tightness
in copper concentrate supply, there’s a number of issues in Chile and
there’s sulfuric acid shortages, too,” said Xiao Fu, head of commodity
market strategy at Bank of China International in London. Many
investors are bullish about a new “supercycle” driven by surging demand
prospects from metal-intensive renewable energy and electric vehicle
sectors and as the global economy steadily recovers from the fallout
from the COVID-19 pandemic. The most-traded June copper contract
on the Shanghai Futures Exchange closed down 1 per cent at 76,000 yuan
($US11,819.23) a tonne, clawing back from early losses of 2.5 per cent.
“At these very elevated price levels, some people want to take profits
and others still want to chase prices higher. So you have these two
forces making prices more volatile,” Fu added. Also supporting
metals markets was a softer US dollar, which held near 2-1/2-month lows,
making commodities priced in the US currency cheaper for buyers using
other currencies. The ShFE copper speculative net long rose to
52.8 per cent of open interest on Monday - the highest level since the
position rose to an 18-year high of 57.9 per cent in February - from
Friday’s 47.4 per cent, analytics data from broker Marex showed.
LME aluminium dipped 0.2 per cent to $US2525 a tonne, zinc edged up 0.1
per cent to $US2995.50, nickel climbed 1 per cent to $US17,935, lead
rose 0.2 per cent to $US2217.50 and tin added 0.5 per cent to $US29,930.
www.afr.com
Acid squeeze latest obstacle facing giant copper mines
May 11, 2021 - Add sulfuric acid to the list of challenges facing
copper miners as the world clamors for more of the wiring metal.
The compound, used to extract copper from ore, is getting harder to come
by. A slowdown in oil refining during the pandemic has resulted in less
availability of sulfur, a key input for the acid. At the same time, more
acid made in Asia is being used locally as industries there rebound. At
least one copper mine in top-producer Chile has already been impacted
and spot prices have surged. “That collection of events hasn’t
ever really happened before,” said Peter Harrisson, principal sulfur
analyst at CRU Group. “In the middle of 2020, it was smelters wishing
they didn’t have to make acid because they couldn’t sell it, whereas
now, it’s smelters wishing they could make more.” The squeeze on
sulfuric acid, also known as oil of vitriol, comes at a time of surging
demand and record-high prices for copper as stimulus and vaccination
campaigns stoke optimism about economic recovery, while the metal’s role
in the energy transition underpins appetite longer term. While
some smelters produce sulfuric acid as a byproduct, the solvent
extraction-electrowinning technology that’s widely employed in Chile
uses it as a feedstock. That makes the Chilean mining industry one of
the most intensive sulfuric acid users. The nation consumes about 8.5
million metric tons a year, of which just 5.5 million tons is sourced
locally, according to government agency Cochilco. But with China
and other countries offering less for export, shipments coming in to
Chile fell in the first quarter. That’s already having an impact at some
mines. While state-owned Codelco managed to increase copper
production in the first quarter, its Gabriela Mistral mine suffered a
40% slump. One of the reasons for that was a lack of access to sulfuric
acid, according to Carmen Zuleta, who heads the union that represents
workers at the mine. Codelco didn’t immediately provide a comment.
To be sure, Chile’s ability to maintain high levels of copper output
probably faces far greater threats from a slew of wage negotiations or
another wave of Covid-19 infections. Still, if tightness in sulfuric
acid supplies grows more pronounced and long-lasting, it could affect as
much as 12% of production in the country, said Cristian Cifuentes from
Cochilco. While acid contract prices are about US$60 a ton, spot
levels have surged to US$160-170, CRU’s Harrisson said. Prices probably
will ease back to US$110-140 by year-end as a pickup in refining yields
more sulfur, but supply is set to stay “fairly structurally tight” for
the next four or five years, he said.
www.theedgemarkets.com
UK sulphuric acid buyers 'in a panic'
as INEOS ends domestic production
April 22, 2021 - The UK’s sulphuric acid market is in disarray
in the wake of international chemicals major INEOS’ decision
to permanently close its Runcorn sulphuric acid plant, according to
market sources this week. INEOS announced the formal closure of
its sulphur chemicals unit in the UK’s northwest in late March;
permanently ending the company’s domestic sulphuric acid production.
In a letter to customers, INEOS, which trades from Runcorn under the
name INOVYN, said the decision signalled its “withdrawal from the UK
sulphur chemicals market”, following a detailed management review of the
business. Runcorn suffered an unplanned outage in third-party
power supplies in October 2020, resulting in the sulphur chemicals plant
and attached sulphur burner going offline. During a controlled
restart, INEOS identified that several critical components had suffered
damage. Despite “significant investment”, INEOS concluded it would
not be possible to restart the unit for a further 18-24 months, heavily
curtailing INOVYN’s ability to supply UK customers. “Regrettably,
the company is therefore left with no option but to keep the plant
offline and effect a permanent closure of the sulphur chemicals
business,” INEOS concluded. In the letter, INEOS said it will
“work with customers to assist in the transition to alternative
supplies”. However, the departure of INEOS’ sulphur operations
from the UK has left a gaping hole in supply for the vital chemical, and
downstream customers “in a panic; trying everything to find product,”
according to a source at a UK-based chemicals producer and acid
distributor. “We’ve heard INEOS’ supply will end in April. That’s
it. Nothing from then,” the source adds.
“We’ve seen prompt purchase tenders for acid issued for
delivery within the month. We’re helping one or two customers, and
[other UK acid distributors] are doing the same, but there’s no spot
available anywhere.” Acid producers in northwest Europe, including
large-volume base metal smelting majors, have also been approached by UK
buyers desperate for tonnes; as have those smelters’ customers, some of
whom have pondered selling their own contracted tonnes into the UK via
road and ferry. A source at INEOS confirmed the company will no
longer supply acid past the end of April. It was heard the company
has attempted to source acid from mainland Europe, but was unable to
secure cargoes. FOB export prices from northwest Europe are at a
two-year high, and what spot material can be found has instead been sent
to destinations in Latin America, where netbacks on sales into Brazil,
Chile, and Argentina are higher. Asian spot acid availability is
similarly limited, making imports from large-volume producers in South
Korea or Japan unworkable.
“It’s a very difficult situation,” a Swiss acid trader says of
the UK market, adding: “At the same time, who is to blame when for years
traders told [UK market players] that only relying on domestic
[production] could be an issue one day when something unexpected
happens?” Although the UK’s acid-consuming industries - including
water treatment, chemical, and fertilizer production - were not
completely reliant on INEOS’ operations at Runcorn, the plant was the
country’s main domestic source of sulphuric acid production capacity.
The UK’s port infrastructure is not built for large-volume acid imports,
with most suitable berths having tank space for only approximately
5,000-8,000 tonnes at a time. “What [UK market players] have
gained on price differentials versus imports in the last 10 years has
disappeared in two months on a force majeure,” the trader adds.
“In the short term, management tend to forget the relationship between
price and security of supply. The sad thing is that even a case like
this will most likely not change the mindset in future years.”
Another UK-based acid player adds: “There’s nowhere to go and get some
product for Q2. Imports won’t be able to cover the shortfall, leaving
the UK bottlenecked. The sea tanks are too small. You need 30,000 or
40,000 tonnes [of tank space], and a strategic reserve, so you always
have some [acid].” In the long-term there is a possibility
“someone might build a tank big enough” to support the UK sulphuric acid
market, the latter source concludes.
www.icis.com
Glencore's KCC mine in Congo had acid spill on March 16
April 6, 2021 - Glencore's GLEN.L Kamoto
Copper Company (KCC) mine in the Congo had a "limited release" of
sulphuric acid from a tank during maintenance work on March 16, the
commodities trading giant said on Tuesday. Glencore declined to
say how much acid was spilled from the tank, but said KCC immediately
contained the spill and conducted follow-up monitoring of the
environment, and there were no injuries to the workforce or contractors.
"At approximately 7pm on 16 March, KCC experienced a limited release of
acid from Tank Farm 1 during maintenance work. There was no explosion,"
Glencore said in a statement. "Follow-up with the community was
conducted to advise of the event and our community officers have not
registered any complaints nor concerns from their engagement with the
surrounding communities." Glencore's statement came after
Congolese non-governmental organisation AFREWATCH said a tank containing
sulphuric acid had exploded at KCC, causing acid to spill into nearby
rivers, and called for an investigation. Mines minister Willy
Kitobo Samsoni told Reuters investigations are underway. Glencore
said KCC continues to engage with local authorities and communities
regarding the incident, and hosted a site visit by the Department of the
Environment last month. KCC, which is 75% owned by Glencore
subsidiary Katanga Mining with the remainder held by Congo's state
mining company Gecamines, produces copper and cobalt near Kolwezi, the
capital of Congo's Lualaba province. KCC produced 23,900 tonnes of
cobalt in 2020, up 40% in the previous year.
International Private-Equity Consortium to Acquire DuPont Clean
Technologies for $510 Million
February 1, 2021 - An international private-equity consortium
consisting of BroadPeak Global LP, Asia Green Fund (AGF) and The Saudi
Arabian Industrial Investments Company (Dussur) announced that they have
signed a definitive agreement whereby the Group will purchase the Clean
Technologies business of DuPont de Nemours, Inc. for $510
million in cash. As part of the transaction, Tensile Capital
Management LP is providing preferred equity financing. The transaction
is expected to close in the second quarter of 2021 subject to customary
closing conditions and regulatory approvals. Since first producing
sulfuric acid catalyst in 1925, DuPont Clean Technologies has become a
global leader in many areas, including: advanced catalyst and process
technologies to produce and regenerate sulfuric acid; hydroprocessing
technology to desulfurize motor fuels; alkylation technology to produce
clean gasoline; and advanced air pollution control systems for
refineries and chemical facilities. DuPont Clean Technologies also
offers a comprehensive suite of aftermarket services and solutions. The
Group and DuPont are working together to execute a seamless transition
plan that will serve Clean Technologies and its global customer base
both reliably and safely. Mr. Nadim
Qureshi, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of BroadPeak Global,
said, “DuPont Clean Technologies is a leader in the sulfuric acid,
alkylation and scrubbing sectors, with world-class products and
aftermarket services. We are excited to have this mission-critical
business in our portfolio. We intend to build on this strong foundation
and further expand the business with the support of management and our
strategic partners.” “The international makeup of the Group will act as
a strong complement to the global operations of this leading platform,
and we are eager to work together with our fellow consortium members to
drive the business forward,” added Stephen Toy,
Co-Founder and Managing Partner of BroadPeak Global LP. Dr. Bo
Bai, Asia Green Fund’s Chairman and CEO, said, “The superior
technological suite provided by DuPont Clean Technologies will play an
instrumental role in helping countries across the world and
particularly Asia Pacific tackle
environmental issues, push toward carbon neutrality, reduce pollution
from mining, oil refining, and chemical industries and upgrade fuel
quality. AGF is excited to partner with a synergistic group of
co-investors and a strong management team to further the global green
impact of Clean Technologies.” Dr. Raed
Al-Rayes, Dussur’s CEO, said, “The Clean Technologies business
established by DuPont has unique, environmentally focused, advanced
capabilities that present strong synergies with Saudi
Arabia’s strategic industrial sectors. We are excited to partner
with a dynamic industrial consortium and help expand the business’s
footprint across our region and globally.”
Eli Ben-Shoshan, Global Business Director of DuPont Clean
Technologies, and future CEO of the intended independent business, said,
“I’m extremely proud of the global capabilities and deep expertise of
the DuPont Clean Technologies team. We believe this transaction will
further strengthen our extensive global relationships to best serve our
customers around the world, and I look forward to working with the
consortium members to accelerate our growth.” Credit
Suisse AG Singapore branch provided committed debt financing for the
transaction. Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. acted as sole M&A advisor to
the Group. Kirkland & Ellis LLP provided legal counsel to the Group, and
Shearman & Sterling LLP and Squire Patton Boggs provided legal counsel
to Dussur. Centerview Partners LLC served as financial advisor to
DuPont, and Ballard Spahr LLP acted as legal counsel to DuPont.
Nuberg EPC Wins 500 TPD Sprea Misr
Sulphuric Acid Plant Project in Ramadan, Egypt
January 21, 2021 - A global EPC and turnkey
project management company, Nuberg EPC has been awarded the prestigious
500 MTPD Sulphuric Acid Plant project on EPC & LSTK basis in Egypt. The
project, which was awarded during the pandemic, is owned by Sprea Misr,
a leading chemicals and plastics manufacturer in Ramadan City, Egypt.
Nuberg EPC will be the single-point solution company responsible from
concept to commissioning of the project. The 500 TPD Sulphuric
Acid Plant project will be based on the latest Double Contact Double
Absorption (DCDA) process technology. The Double contact process is used
for the production of sulphuric acid in high concentrations that is
required for industrial purposes. The project also incorporates a 5MW
turbine with a steam-based power generation plant with a complete bypass
arrangement. This is the first time that Nuberg EPC is building a
turbine unit for electricity production. Sulphuric Acid produced in the
plants will be provided to the agriculture industry for the production
of urea and other fertilizers. This project comes as another
milestone for Nuberg EPC in Egypt, as it is the fourth turnkey project
for the company. Nuberg has also completed three other turnkey projects
in Egypt namely, a Caustic Soda plant for the Egyptian Petrochemical
Company in Alexandria, a Calcium Chloride plant for TCI Sanmar Chemicals
in Port Said, and a Sulphuric Acid plant for AGROCHEM in Alexandria.
Signing the contract amidst the pandemic is yet another achievement for
Nuberg EPC. In the Middle East, Nuberg EPC has successfully delivered
over fifteen turnkey projects in countries like Oman Qatar, Saudi
Arabia, Turkey, and the UAE. This has positioned Nuberg EPC as one of
the top EPC companies in the region. On being awarded the project,
Mr. A. K. Tyagi, MD, Nuberg Engineering commented, “We are thankful to
Sprea Misr for entrusting our turnkey project engineering capabilities
and our EPC services and solutions with its Sulphuric Acid Plant. We are
excited to partner with them and strengthen our relationship even
further. Armed with competent, qualified, and professional engineers
along with advancements in sulphuric acid plant technology, we are
committed to commission the project by the first quarter of 2022; faster
than the industry average of 16 months.” He further stated,
“Nuberg EPCs scope of services for this project includes Process Design
& Technology including Product and Technology Development, Process
Know-how & Licensing, Basic Engineering, Front End Engineering Design
(FEED), Construction Management, Operation & Maintenance, Detailed
Engineering, Project Management, Commissioning, EPC & LSTK Solutions,
Heavy Fabrication, and start-up of the plant.” Sulphuric Acid
finds its way through a wide range of applications in the hydrocarbon
(oil & gas) industry and is one of the most important industrial
chemicals. The major use of sulphuric acid is in the production of
fertilizers, in petroleum refining to wash impurities out of gasoline,
in derivatives, and other refinery & petrochemical products, in
processing metals, and in automobiles as the electrolyte in the
lead-acid storage battery. Nuberg EPC has been providing plant
design, engineering, technology, and turnkey solutions to the sulphuric
acid industry for 25 years. Nuberg EPC has its own technology specially
designed and developed to increase the efficiency and cost-effectiveness
of Sulphuric Acid plants. The company is a global leader for not only
executing turnkey Chemical and Fertilizer projects worldwide but also
serves Hydrocarbon, Steel, and Nuclear & Defence industries globally.
Vedanta mine settles Zambian villagers' pollution claim
January 20, 2021 - More than 2,500 Zambian villagers are to
receive an undisclosed settlement from UK-based mining giant Vedanta
Resources over their pollution claims. The claimants live by the
huge Nchanga Copper mine, owned by Konkola Copper Mines (KCM), a Vedanta
subsidiary. In 2015, they alleged that toxic discharge from
Nchanga had poisoned water sources and destroyed farmland. In a
landmark ruling four years later, the UK Supreme Court said the case
could be fought in the UK courts. In its judgement, the Supreme
Court had said the firm owed villagers a duty of care and there was a
risk they would not be able to achieve justice in the Zambian courts.
A joint statement from UK-based law firm Leigh Day, which is
representing the claimants, and Vedanta said the mining companies did
not admit liability but had settled all claims "for the benefit of the
local community". "It was claimed that toxic effluent discharge
from the mine damaged local land and waterways used for irrigation and
the use of polluted water for drinking, washing and bathing caused
residents severe health problems," it said. The villagers had
sought damages and an end to the "alleged continual pollution that they
say is gravely impacting their lives", the statement added. Leaked
documents seen by the BBC in 2015 appeared to show that KCM had been
spilling sulphuric acid and other toxic chemicals into the water
sources. The communities of Hippo Pool, Kakosa, Shimulala and
Hellen said that the Mushishima stream and the Kafue had become rivers
of acid.
Glencore
in final talks over Mopani sale
January 8, 2021 - Glencore said on Friday it was in final-stage
negotiations over a potential sale of its majority stake in Mopani
Copper Mines to Zambia’s mining investment arm ZCCM-IH.
Zambian state
radio ZNBC earlier reported the government had concluded talks with
Glencore, citing President Edgar Lungu. According to the broadcaster, a
deal was likely to be signed next week. Zambia’s
state mining investment arm has been in talks to buy Glencore’s 73.1%
stake in Mopani since August. ZCCM-IH currently has 10% of Mopani, with
Glencore holding 73.1% and First Quantum Minerals 16.9%. Glencore
shelved its plans to place the operations under care and maintenance for
90 days, after Zambia threatened to revoke its mining license in April.
The government strategy is driven by a need to safeguard jobs at Mopani,
rather than any desire to raise its shareholding, said Barnaby Mulenga,
permanent secretary in the Ministry of Mines. On a visit to Mopani
Copper Mines on Friday, Lungu said the government would ensure the mine
continued to operate and no jobs would be lost. With Zambians
heading to the polls in August, President Lungu has been working to win
votes in the country’s northern copper belt. The government is also in a
dispute over Vedanta’s Konkola Copper Mines, which is under the control
of a liquidator since May 2019. Lusaka accused Vedanta of failing to
honour licence conditions, including promised investment. Glencore
has invested more than $1 billion in Mopani since 2014 – extending its
life by a further 25 to 30 years. Mopani produced 119,000 tonnes
of copper in 2018.www.mining.com
