Australian acid
19 Jul 2004
The Chemetics divison of Aker Kvaerner Canada has been awarded a contract by the Australian firm of Ravensthorpe Nickel Operations to build a large, single train sulphur burning acid plant.
The lump sum contract, valued in excess of 59 million Euros, includes the complete design, supply, erection, and commissioning of the plant.
Ravensthorpe Nickel Operations (RNO), a wholly-owned subsidiary of BHP Billiton, is developing a mine and processing facility near the town of Ravensthorpe in Western Australia. The new acid plant associated with the project will have a production capacity of 4400 metric tons per day.
The project will be managed from Aker Kvaerner's Chemetics-division's office in Vancouver, Canada, where it will also carry out the majority of the engineering.
The Chemetics-division will be supported by other Aker Kvaerner companies including Kvaerner Industrial Constructors (KIC) who will manage site construction.
Ravensthorpe Nickel Operations will use its Enhanced Pressure Acid Leach (EPAL) hydrometallurgical process at the new plant. The process is a combination of pressure acid leach and atmospheric leach and produces a mixed nickel and cobalt hydroxide intermediate product (MHP).
The MHP will contain up to 50,000 tonnes per annum (tpa) nickel and 1400tpa cobalt that will be packaged and shipped through the Port of Esperance to Townsville for final refining at the QNI Yabulu Refinery.
