MARKET PROSPECTS

4Pump Industry Analyst August 2007

The companies have already started con-ducting a feasibility study to assess various aspects of the project, including engineering design, location, infrastructure needs, supply chain logistics, energy and economics.

Agrochemical expansion for Degussa

The Feed Additives Business Unit of Degussa GmbH is expand-

ing the capacity of L-Threonine in Kaba, Hungary. The annual produc-tion capability of Agroferm, a fully owned subsidiary of Degussa, will be increased to 20 000 metric tons of Threonine by the end of 2007. In addition to the capacity enlarge-ment, the company will upgrade processes to optimize plant efficien-cy and product design further.

The Kaba site is Degussa’s second state-of-the-art Threonine production facility in Europe, bringing the company’s total capac-ity to 40 000 metric tons per year. The new Threonine production line also frees up fer-mentation capacity to be used for production of Tryptophan and other amino acids.

Mitsui expands production in Singapore

Mitsui Chemicals Inc will estab-lish a new plant to augment

production capacity for TAFMER, a flexible and light resin modifier.

The expansion will double the plant’s capacity from 100 000 to 200 000 kT/year. Construction will start in March 2008, with completion planned for August 2009.

Ammonia plant relocated to Pakistan

MW Kellogg Ltd is to provide a basic engineering design

(BED) package for an ammonia plant revamp.

The ex Kemira-Growhow plant is cur-rently being relocated from Rotterdam in the Netherlands to Pakistan by Fatima Fertilizer Co Ltd and will form part of a new ferti-

lizer complex to be owned and operated by Fatima at Sadiqabad.

POWER GENERATION

Minnesota looks at hydro plant upgrade

Hatch Energy has been retained by Minnesota Power to provide

engineering services related to the feasibility level study and future development of the planned Fond du Lac Hydroelectric Station Renewable Energy Upgrade Project. Fond du Lac is located on the St Louis river, just west of Duluth, Minnesota.

The project, which will result in the con-struction of a new 10 MW powerhouse, will include hydraulic and energy modeling; a review of the existing plant for potential upgrading/uprating purposes; the conceptual review of several alternatives and preliminary design and costing of the chosen upgrade alternative.

AMEC wins nuclear engineering contract

AMEC has won a major contract from British Energy for engineer-

ing and project management services on three of its fleet of nuclear power plants in the UK.

The five-year contract carries an option for a further two years and will see AMEC provide project management and engineering services at the two sites at Heysham in the north west of England and at Hartlepool on Teesside.

JV contracted for CC plant in Canada

The Hatch - Sargent & Lundy joint venture has been retained by

Enmax Corp to conduct siting and prefeasibility studies for its planned US$1.7 billion, 1200 MW power plant in Calgary, Alberta. The plant will be a combined-cycle generating facility that could burn natural gas or gas from coal. The plant may also pro-duce excess steam or heat for sec-ondary and commercial purposes.

The initial phase of work is a study that will focus on site locations for the different generation technologies based on coal and natural gas. The plant will be engineered and constructed in phases. The first phase of the plant is scheduled for start-up in 2010.

METALS & MINING

JV to engineer aluminium smelter

SNC-Lavalin, Murray & Roberts and Hatch have, as joint venture part-

ners, signed a contract with Alcan Inc, valued at more than US$100 mil-lion, for the front-end engineering and design (FEED) and engineering, procurement and construction man-agement services (EPCM) for the first phase of Alcan’s Coega Aluminium Smelter Project in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. On completion of this first phase, the smelter will have an initial capacity of 360 000 tonnes per year.

While the total value of the contract is for the first phase of the project, the second phase, which would bring aluminum produc-tion to an estimated 720 000 tonnes/yr, is also included in the contract. The FEED is expected to take nine months to complete and will provide firm cost estimates and a critical path for construction, pending the Notice to Proceed from Alcan. The project has an estimated total cost of US$2.7 billion for both phases.

New alumina refinery for Brazil

Hydro and Brazilian mining company CVRD have signed

an agreement to develop a new alumina refinery in northern Brazil, strengthening Hydro’s future alu-mina supply. Hydro will hold a 20% share in the refinery.

The new refinery will be located close to Belém in the state of Para, approximately 5 kms from Alunorte, the world’s largest alumina refinery, owned 57% by CVRD and 34% by Hydro. The new plant is to be developed in four stages, each of 1.85 million tons per year of alumina production and with a final output of 7.4 millions tons per year.