OREANDA-NEWS. November 20, 2009. A new capital project will be implemented by LLC PG Phosphorit (a EuroChem subsidiary in Kingisepp, Leningrad Region) that will make wet-process phosphoric acid manufacturing possible with two production trains instead of four. This will cut power costs in half. In addition, phosphoric acid strength will increase from 24% to 34%, an improvement for engineering processes in the ammophos and defluorinated phosphate workshops, as a stronger acid requires less power for evaporation during fertilizer production, and performs better during feeder phosphate calcination.

The main objective of this new technology is to increase the temperature and modify the stoichiometric ratio of raw materials (sulfuric acid and raw phosphates). OJSC Samoylov Fertilizer and Insectofungicide Research Institute (Moscow) has developed improved pulp circulators that are tailored to these revised process parameters. Some other new equipment will also be acquired.

This is the first project in Russia that enables transportation of phosphate hemihydrate, a byproduct of the process, from the wet-process phosphoric acid workshop to the loading terminal by a 700-meter conveyor gallery.

A project to convert the fourth production train in the wet-process phosphoric acid workshop to the hemihydrate operations is scheduled for completion in early 2011. A similar project to convert the third production train will be developed concurrently.

The new project will also have a significant environmental impact as the reduced number of production trains will halve the total amount of emissions. Environmental impacts will be further reduced by upgrading deteriorated absorption equipment, thus increasing absorption efficiency to ensure compliance with permissible air emission standards.

Once implemented, this project will enable LLC PG Phosphorit (part of EuroChem Mineral and Chemical Company) to improve the cost-effectiveness and long-term sustainability of its operations.