Vale has selected HPD, a Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies company, to provide the engineering design for evaporation and crystallisation equipment for the Carnalita potash project in the state of Sergipe in Brazil. The award is part of the first phase of development for the initial 1.2 Mt/y production of potassium chloride expected to begin in 2015. This project will be the largest potash extraction facility in Brazil. HPD’s evaporation and crystallization equipment will purify natural deposits recovered by solution mining of carnalite to produce potassium chloride that will be sold as chemical fertiliser in the Brazilian market. The major process equipment comprises a multiple-effect evaporation system followed by a multiple-stage crystallisation system. This should maximise steam economy and provide condensate for reuse in solution mining operations.
The scope of this first phase of development will include both basic and detailed engineering for the various portions of the evaporation plant towards a full project release. HPD will also conduct pilot-testing at its Research and Development Center in the US to ensure design parameters of the process. Vale selected HPD for this phase of the project due to its experience in the potash and fertiliser industry as well as a cost-effective solution.
HPD provides innovative process solutions, which use evaporation and crystallization as well as ceramic membrane technology, to industrial customers worldwide. HPD’s range of services includes process design, pilot testing, equipment supply, project management, design-build project execution, and start-up and training services. From offices in Bilbao, Spain, and Plainfield, Illinois, and with agents around the world, HPD has provided more than 675 installations in over 30 countries. HPD is a Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies company.
Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies, subsidiary of Veolia Water, is a global provider of technology solutions and design-build services in water treatment. With over 9,500 employees in 57 countries, Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies recorded revenue of $3.6 billion in 2009. Combining the specialised expertise of North American subsidiaries including Biothane, Crown Solutions, HPD, John Meunier, Kruger, N.A. Water Systems, PICA and Whittier Filtration, Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies serves the industrial and municipal markets.