Milestones

• More than 113,000 r of confined SOPs pumped at the end of July 2021.
• 90,000 t of potassium salts stored on the ROM platform, which is equivalent to around 9,000 t of SOP production.
• Harvesting operations continue, without interruption or delay, thanks to the abundant reserve of potassium salts available in the crystallizer basins.
• SOP’s first production is still targeting the end of September 2021.
• Completion of construction activities and parallel commissioning activities remain within the capital expenditure budget.

Rudolph van Niekerk, CEO, commented: “I am delighted that our foresight, careful planning and well executed production readiness strategy are paying off. After installing a strong network of brine supply and evaporation ponds, we continue to harvest large volumes of potassium salts above the cut-off level of the vegetable feed, which are harvested and delivered to the platform. ROM. With this sufficient supply of potassium salts, we have expanded our storage area and will soon be ready to move from commissioning to production.

“The Beyondie SOP project operations team works closely with the project team at each of the separate commissioning stages of the SOP treatment plant. We are entering the final phase of the project, and with several areas of the plant ready for water commissioning, there are only a few months left before SOP production begins.

Preparation for SOP production

More than 90,000 t of potassium salt, meeting the cut-off level of the vegetable feed, was harvested and delivered to the ROM storage pile. Potassium salt harvesting and storage operations are underway with several other ponds ready and available for harvest. Potassium salt, both harvested and ready for harvest, accounts for approximately the first six months of SOP production during the ramp-up period.

The company’s pond design and operating methodology allow for a controlled transfer of brine from lower grade sodium chloride ponds to higher grade ponds where potassium salt is precipitated to meet feed specifications for plants on an ongoing basis.

This operating model allows the precipitation to be controlled at a constant rate to minimize the variability of the potassium content in the dietary salt of plants. As a result, operations target the sustainable delivery of plant feed potassium salts to specification. Kalium Lakes uses a mix of spot and core sampling methodologies to check the potassium content of salt in ponds. Spot sampling involves several samples taken from the same points and core sampling involves several samples taken from three different points in the same pond.

The flotation agent that will be used in the process flotation circuit has been carefully selected through extensive bench and pilot scale testing during feasibility studies with K-UTEC AG Salt Technologies and is part of the performance guarantee provided under the EBTEC contract for the production of standard quality SOPs.

Dr Markus Pfänder, CEO of K-UTEC, commented: “Our process design and performance guarantees are based on decades of experience in salt processing and purification, which includes the production of SOP in operations. similar.

After extensive testing at our demonstration facilities, a process design for the Beyondie SOP project was chosen that includes direct flotation, where the concentrate containing potassium is floated rather than sodium chloride. This allows for a more robust design which, if necessary, can process inferior food potassium salts. “

The majority of the SOP treatment plant areas are now in the dry commissioning stage or near, with most of the remaining work associated with insulation, electrical, instrumentation and controls. Construction of the SOP pellet production facilities and the storage hangar are continuing as planned.

Read the article online at: https://www.worldfertilizer.com/potash/09082021/kalium-lakes-provides-beyondie-sop-commissioning-update/