Skip to main content

Industrial

JPMC to build new sulphuric acid plant

Written by Richard Hands


The Indo-Jordan Chemicals Company (IJCC), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Jordan Phosphate Mines Company (JPMC), has signed a $193 million strategic agreement with China’s East China Engineering Science and Technology Company to construct a sulphuric acid plant in the Shidiya area. The new facility will have a capacity of 900,000 t/a of concentrated sulphuric acid, and is scheduled to be completed within 30 months, according to the company. The sulphuric acid produced will be used in phosphoric acid manufacturing as part of a new expansion phase, increasing IJCC’s phosphoric acid production capacity from 330,000 t/a to 550,000 t/a.

Speaking at the signing agreement, JPMC Chairman Mohammad Thneibat said the project “reflects JPMC’s commitment to expanding investments and developing operations in line with Royal directives and the Economic Modernisation Vision”, noting that it “will enhance value-added production in Jordan’s mining sector and create direct and indirect employment opportunities during construction and operation.” It will also “ensure a stable supply of sulphuric acid to support phosphoric acid production, improving operational efficiency and strengthening competitiveness in regional and global markets.”

East China Engineering CEO Meng Chenzhou expressed pride in the partnership, reaffirming his company’s commitment to delivering the project to the highest standards and expanding long-term industrial cooperation with Jordan.

Latest in Industrial

Price Trends

The global sulphur market has entered a holding pattern, as a wave of bearish sentiment has so far failed to move stubbornly high spot prices. The departure of a significant volume of product from the Middle East has emboldened buyers and shifted market sentiment firmly towards bearish, but at time of writing this has so far failed to translate into lower prices. With sellers in no hurry to lower prices and spot availability still tight, the market has stalled as both sides wait for the other to blink first.

Restart for Hongda smelter

Hongda's 100,000 t/a zinc smelter, in China's Sichuan Province, completed scheduled maintenance and equipment upgrading and officially resumed production on 21st June, the company said. The smelter had been shut down for planned maintenance since January, during which time a modernisation project for the electrolytic zinc smelting system was also carried out. Following the nearly six-month revamp, the resumption of production is expected to improve overall operational efficiency, reduce unit production costs, and increase the utilisation rate, The company said. The stable supply of sulphuric acid generated by the zinc smelter will effectively leverage the synergies of the "sulphur-phosphorus" industrial chain in the company, an help alleviate cost pressures on the company's phosphorus chemical business segment.