Press release on the end of construction of a new sulfuric acid plant
09.12.2011Kyzylorda oblast
The construction of a new sulfuric acid plant in Zhanakorgan region, Kyzylorda oblast, which is included in the program of the Forced Industrial and Innovative Development of Kazakhstan for 2010-2014, has been finished.
The fact has been reported by the Deputy Chairman of NAC Kazatomprom JSC Nurlan Ryspanov and the Akim of Kyzylorda oblast Bulat Kuandykov in a live television broadcast in the framework of the telebridge on the start up of industrial projects with the participation of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev.
The project is realized by Kazatomprom National Atomic Company in partnership with Mining Company LLP (Kazatomprom’s subsidiary), SAP-Japan Corporation (Japan) and Uranium One (Canada).
The operator of the project is SKZ-U LLP.
The construction of the plant is aimed at providing the uranium industry of the Republic of Kazakhstan with sulfuric acid which is the main reagent in the technology of uranium production by ISL method. The plant will supply sulfuric acid to the ISL mines based on the uranium deposits Khorassan-1, Khorassan-2, Northern and Southern Karamurun.
Kazakhstan block sulfur will be the raw material for production.
The plant’s design capacity is expected to be 500,000 tons of sulfuric acid per year, or 1500 tons per day. Project’s total cost is reported to be 216 mln. USD.
The technology to be used at the new plant is up-to-date and effective – the raw material is 99.9 % converted to the end product. And the technology is environmentally sound.
Production processes are fully automatized and thus the production and environmental safety of the output is fully controlled.
Energy-conserving methods of production are applied at the plant. As a result the technological process not just provides the plant with its own electrical power but the local power supply networks as well. Electrical power is expected to be 18 МW.
The main consumers of the sulfuric acid plant production will be the uranium enterprises of Kazakhstan.
By commissioning its own sulfuric acid plant Kazatomprom will be less dependent on foreign suppliers of this reagent and Kazatomprom’s enterprises will increase Kazakhstan content in their output.
New sulfuric acid plant will provide Kyzylorda oblast with more than 300 working places.
SKZ-U LLP was founded in August 2007 to implement a project of a sulfuric acid plant construction in Zhanakorgan region, Kyzylorda oblast, with a design capacity of 500,000 tons per year. Founding members of SKZ-U LLP are Mining Company LLP (NAC Kazatomprom’s subsidiary, 49%), SAP-Japan Corporation (Japan - 32%) and Uranium One (Canada – 19%).
PR Department
Kazatomprom
