 "Coromandel International")
Coromandel International, India’s largest private phosphatic fertiliser company, on Thursday commissioned a new sulphuric acid plant at its manufacturing complex in Visakhapatnam.
The plant has been set up with an investment of Rs 400 crore and has a production capacity of 1,650 metric tonnes per day (MTPD).
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The plant will increase Coromandel’s sulphuric acid capacity to 1.1 million tonnes per annum from 0.6 million tonnes per annum, supporting its requirement towards downstream processes involving phosphoric acid and phosphatic fertiliser production. The company said the new plant will strengthen its backward integration capabilities and help in self-sufficiency in operations.
“India is the third largest importer of sulphuric acid globally, importing nearly 2 million tonnes of acid per annum. With the commissioning of our new sulphuric acid plant, our nation’s import dependence will go down by 25-30 per cent,” said Arun Alagappan, executive vice chairman of Coromandel International.
The plant is designed to meet global emission standards and the steam it generates will be used for captive power generation. The company engaged MECS (Monsanto Enviro-Chem Systems) and TKIS (ThyssenKrupp Industrial Solutions) for executing the project.
“It’s a proud moment for all of us in Coromandel for successfully commissioning the new sulphuric acid plant at Visakhapatnam in a record time of 18 months. This investment is in line with our company’s strategy of strengthening backward integration and ensuring supply security of key raw materials, promoting self-reliance in our operations,” said Alagappan.
The company has set up a desalination plant of 6 millions litre per day (MLD) to meet its additional water requirement. It will work with Veolia Water Technology and Solutions, a global leader in wastewater treatment industry, for the plant. Coromandel, which has complex fertilisers' production capacity of 3.5 million tonnes per annum, is focusing on strengthening its backward integration capabilities across key raw materials and intermediates like phosphoric acid, sulphuric acid, and rock phosphate. Last year, the company invested in Baobab Mining Corporation (BMCC) in Senegal.
“We are very fortunate that Coromandel has provided us the opportunity to set up a 6 MLD seawater desalination plant at their Vizag facility,” said Gopal Madabhushi, business leader at Veolia Water Technologies and Solutions.
