Acid treatment plant delivered by Kemira reaches topping out stage at Ruukki's Raahe mills
19-Jun-2007
At the end of year 2006, Kemira concluded an agreement with Rautaruukki on the delivery of a regeneration plant (i.e. recovery plant) for pickling acid used in pickling hot-rolled steel at Rautaruukki's Raahe mills. The project is part of Kemira's growing water-chemicals/order_t/'>water chemicals business and the company's first full-scale regeneration plant delivery to a customer in the metal industry.
The regeneration plant facilitates on-the-spot recycling and treatment of the iron-containing hydrochloric acid formed at the mill. According to the company, this regeneration process is more pro-environmental than before, since no harmful fractions are emitted into the water system or into the atmosphere. For Ruukki, the advantages of the regeneration plant involve lower operating costs. Energy consumption will decrease due to the new process, and savings will also be generated through reduced transportation costs.
The regeneration plant processes the iron containing hydrochloric acid arising from the steel pickling process, Kemira removing the iron from the acid and using it to make water treatment chemicals. The purified hydrochloric acid is then fed back into Ruukki's hot-rolled steel strip manufacturing process. Regeneration of the acid is based on Kemira's own technology, which enables close to 100% recycling of the hydrochloric acid used in the pickling process.
"The plant is the first acid regeneration plant to be built based on this technology and as a Kemira's pilot project provides us with an important reference. Thanks to recovery plants, Kemira will obtain side-stream raw material to meet the needs of the rapidly growing water treatment markets", says Päivi Mannila, Project Manager.
Construction of the regeneration plant is contracted to Rakennus Miilukangas Oy, while Are Oy is responsible for the electricity and HPAC contracting of the hall. Kemira's subsidiary, Galvatek Oy, (owned by Kemira 100%) is in charge of constructing the actual process plant. Installation of process equipment began on June 18 and the first trial runs are due in August 2007.
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