Outokumpu Constructing World’s Largest Sulfuric Acid Plant in Saudi Arabia

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Researched by Industrial Info Resource (Sugar Land, Texas). The Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA) has moved ahead with its 2005 initiative for a $10 billion integrated national mining program to exploit some of the world’s largest phosphate reserves and bauxite deposits to provide feeds for fertilizer plants and a planned 620,000-ton per annum aluminum smelter. The Saudi Arabian Mining Company (Maaden) (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia) is planning to build a mineral export zone at Ras al Zour, in the east of the country. Bauxite and phosphates from mines in northern Saudi Arabia will be processed at the complex, which will include an ammonia plant, alumina refinery and six plants producing sulfuric and phosphoric acid. The complex will be served by a dedicated 1,800-megawatt (MW) power plant

Construction will start at the end of 2006 on the world’s largest sulfuric acid complex, which will have three acid production plants with a combined production capacity of 13,500 tons per day (about 4.5 million tons per annum). Outokumpu Technology’s (Espoo, Finland) joint venture company, Middle East Metals (MEM), signed the phase 1 contract for the engineering on the plants at the beginning of May. The project will be executed in two phases. Saudi’s Central Mining Company Investment, Limited will be in the joint venture with MEM. The overall investment in the project is estimated to be $240 million, out of which the core technology package directly subcontracted to Outokumpu Technology will be worth $120 million.

In 2004/2005, global production of sulfuric acid stood at over 165 million tons per annum. The bulk of production used sulfur dioxide byproduct from smelting operations and hydrocarbon processing as a feed that was then oxidized and catalyzed to form sulfuric acid. Maaden will use the total acid production at Ras al Zour for the manufacture of phosphate-based fertilizer when the plant starts operations in 2009.

Over a period of 90 years, Outokumpu has installed over 600 sulfuric acid plants representing over 30% of the world’s production. The company operates in 30 countries and employs 11,000 people. Sales in 2005 were $7.1 billion, 95% of which was generated outside Finland.

Saudi Arabia ‘s mining sector is expected to grow at a rate of about 10% per annum, which will make it the fastest growing sector of the country’s economy. Mountainous and hard-rock regions contain mineral deposits, including gold, silver, lead, zinc, uranium, iron ore, copper, phosphates, bauxite, coal, tungsten and magnesite. A Mining Investment Service Center provides information and assistance for mineral concession applications for foreign and local companies. Detailed mineral maps and 2,800 technical reports that have been funded by the government over the last 25 years can be accessed by applicants.

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