Business news

SOLIGORSK, 18 June (BelTA) – Products made by Belaruskali’s membrane electrolysis division will sell well on foreign markets, BelTA learned from Chairman of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of Belarus Mikhail Myasnikovich, who visited the enterprise on 18 June.

According to Mikhail Myasnikovich, the membrane electrolysis division makes unique products that take the country’s chemical industry to a new level. “Today we have seen a full-fledged chemical enterprise. When the project was envisaged several years ago, we were talking about a full manufacturing cycle. We wanted to use the initial raw materials not only for the sake of making fertilizers but also for making other chemical industry products. Today we can say that together with research institutions Belaruskali has implemented a number of projects for manufacturing high-quality products. The number includes two enterprises that are in a class of their own. One of them makes compound fertilizers, with phosphorus, nitrogen, and potassium combined in one granule. And the other one is the membrane electrolysis division. Future belongs to such projects,” noted Mikhail Myasnikovich.

Belaruskali Director General Ivan Golovaty explained that since March the new enterprise has made 940 tonnes of hydrochloric acid (virtually all of it is used for in-house), 225 tonnes of sodium hypochlorite (131.5 tonnes has been sold in Belarus and Russia), 250 tonnes of solid potassium hydroxide and 580 tonnes of liquid potassium hydroxide.

According to the Belaruskali Director General, with the launch of the new manufacturing facility major companies, including Belarusian Steel Works, Grodno Azot, Gomel Chemical Factory, Mogilevkhimvolokno and other ones, have been granted the ability to use Belarusian materials and reduce logistics costs. The company is now working to export the new merchandise to the Baltic states, Poland, and other European countries.

The membrane electrolysis division is a chemical factory built to enable deep complex processing of chlorine-containing mineral raw materials. The factory boasts the entire process flow. Potassium chloride solution is subjected to electrolysis to make aqueous solution of potassium hydroxide and gaseous hydrogen and chloride. Hydrogen and chloride are then converted into hydrochloric acid and sodium hypochlorite. Chemical granulated potassium chloride with the commercial component content as large as at least 98% is used as the initial raw material.

The membrane electrolysis division is designed to make 10,000 tonnes of potassium hydroxide per annum, 17,000 tonnes of 35% hydrochloric acid (4,000 tonnes for Belaruskali’s needs and 13,000 tonnes for selling on the home market) and 4,200 tonnes of 15% sodium hypochlorite water solution. The product is increasingly used by Belarusian enterprises to disinfect water and used to be imported. Belaruskali specialists explained that the output capacity can be increased if necessary.

The enterprise was built using the basic design of the German company Chemieanlagenbau Chemnitz GmbH (C.A.C.). The same company supplied the core process equipment. Construction began in October 2012. The facility was commissioned in February 2015. The enterprise’s launch created 106 jobs.

The process flow Belaruskali’s new division uses relies on membrane electrolysis of potassium chloride water solution. It is a state-of-the-art electrolysis technology. Unlike other technologies membrane electrolysis lacks atmospheric emissions of such harmful substances as mercury or asbestos. It uses less electricity and the plant’s operational mode is simpler and safer. The enterprise uses equipment made by industry leaders from Japan, Germany, and Switzerland.

The public joint-stock company (OAO) Belaruskali is one of the largest producers and exporters of potassium fertilizers in the world. According to the International Fertilizer Industry Association, Belaruskali accounts for one-seventh of the world’s output of potassium fertilizers. Belaruskali exports the merchandise to over 70 countries. The enterprise operates four mining departments and several auxiliary and service subdivisions.