EuroChem Group, a leading global fertilizer company headquartered in Switzerland, has selected Veolia Water Technologies’ proven HPD® crystallization technology for its VolgaKaliy mine expansion project in Russia’s Volgograd region. The mine is scheduled to begin commercial operations in 2018, and the expansion, of which Veolia’s crystallization project is part, is scheduled to start up in 2021.
The HPD PIC™ crystallizer system will be used for the production of 2 Mt/y of high purity (98.5%) potassium chloride fertilizer from brine produced from conventionally mined sylvinite ore. The major process equipment provided by Veolia will include multiple HPD PIC crystallizers, recirculation and transfer pumps, vapor condensers and centrifuges. The Veolia system has been designed for EuroChem such that process heat will be optimally reused to maximize the temperature of the spent brine back to the ore leaching process.
A primary reason why EuroChem chose Veolia was the latter’s commitment to provide process development and process optimization services to the project at a very early stage. Through this early participation with EuroChem, Veolia was able to systematically evaluate multiple design variations, resulting in a custom engineered system specifically suited to meet EuroChem’s production, equipment layout, and operational needs, all while optimizing the cost effectiveness of the system.
Clark Bailey, Head of Mining at EuroChem, commented: “With their proven experience and talented team, EuroChem is pleased to be working with such a strong partner as Veolia. The expansion phase of our VolgaKaliy project will increase the plant’s capacity to 4.3 Mt/y of potassium in grades suitable for both agricultural and industrial applications to better diversify our portfolio and markets. Our first phase continues to be on track to begin production in mid-2018.”
“Veolia designs and implements solutions aimed at improving access to resources while at the same time protecting and renewing those same resources. With the experience from more than 1,200 successful installations for industrial evaporation and crystallization and over 50 references in the fertilizer market, we were able to offer a custom-built system that offers the flexibility to meet a wide range of production requirements. We are proud to partner with EuroChem on this prestigious project,” stated Klaus Andersen, CEO of Veolia Water Technologies Inc.
EuroChem is vertically integrated with activities spanning mining and hydrocarbons extraction to fertilizer production, logistics, and distribution. It is currently developing two sizeable potash deposits in Russia with its VolgaKaliy and Usolskiy potash greenfield projects.