Skip to main content

Sulphur 421 Nov-Dec 2025

21 November 2025

SMAC to list on Toronto stock exchange

SMAC to list on Toronto stock exchange

Queensland-based SMAC (Strategic Minerals Acid Critical) Developments says that it plans to list on the Toronto Stock Exchange in December to raise $1.3 million to fund a final feasibility study. The company is attempting to develop sulphuric acid production in northern Queensland to supply local industries. The company plans to initially build a 180,000 t/a sulphur burning acid plant at a site at Cloncurry, followed by a second phase which would involve developing a pyrite roasting plant to generate 550-600,000 t/a of sulphuric acid.

Queensland faces a shortage of acid if the Glencore Mount Isa copper smelter closes down. Mount Isa produces around 1 million t/a of acid. Glencore says that the smelter is losing tens of millions of dollars per month, and in spite of an A$600 million bridging loan from the Queensland government, it is slated to close in 2028. The smelter is the main supplier of acid to Dyno Nobel’s Phosphate Hill facility, which uses up to 1.2 million t/a of acid. Aside from the Mount Isa supply, the balance comes from Sun Metals’ zinc smelter in Townsville. More acid could be required by the expanding vanadium industry in the state and copper leaching operations. Explosives company Dyno Nobel has said that it may cease operations at its fertiliser plant in September 2026 if a buyer is unable to be secured by March next year.

Latest in Industrial

Devon and Coterra merger creates shale major

Devon Energy has signed a definitive merger agreement with Coterra Energy. The companies say that the combination will create a leading shale operator with a high-quality asset base anchored by a premier position in the economic core of the Delaware Basin. The combined company will be named Devon Energy and will be headquartered in Houston while maintaining a significant presence in Oklahoma City. The companies say that they have identified $1 billion in annual pre-tax synergies which, together with technology-driven capital efficiency gains and optimised capital allocation will drive near and long-term per share growth.

Coromandel starts trial operations at new acid plants

Coromandel International says that it has started trial production at its new sulphuric acid and phosphoric acid plants in Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh. The company says that this marks a crucial step towards transforming the unit into a fully integrated facility, significantly enhancing production capacity and diminishing reliance on imported raw materials for fertiliser manufacturing. The company is now focusing on a phased ramp-up. The new plants have of 2,000 t/d of sulphuric acid and 650 t/d of phosphoric acid, respectively. The integration of these acid plants is strategic, aligning with Coromandel's objective to strengthen backward integration in its fertiliser manufacturing value chain. By producing key intermediates in-house, the company aims to secure stable supplies, enhance cost efficiencies, and achieve greater self-sufficiency, thereby reducing dependence on imported raw materials. The project aims to replace over 50% of the Kakinada plant's imported acid requirements and mirror the integration levels seen at its Vizag and Ennore facilities.