The construction of a new sulfuric acid shop №6 is actively underway on the territory of the zinc plant of the Almalyk Mining and Metallurgical Complex . The construction and installation work of the facilities is carried out by “Olmalykmetallurgqurilish” trust and the specialized repair work department.

To date, about 60% of the construction work has been completed, the equipment installation is 65% complete, the design work of the Metso Outotec company is 95% complete, and the equipment delivery is 90%. Construction started in November 2023 and is scheduled for completion this year.

Currently, up to 96 cubic meters of acidic wastewater per hour flows from the old shop to the wastewater treatment area. After the launch of the new SC-6, this volume will decrease to 20 m³/hour. It is also worth noting that currently 700-800 tons of dry lime are used monthly to neutralize wastewater. The new workshop will reduce this consumption by four times. In addition, emissions into the atmosphere will be halved. Due to worn-out equipment, the old workshop cannot operate at full capacity, and up to 35% of process gases are emitted into the atmosphere, which reduces the production of sulfuric acid by about 100 tons per day. The efficiency of sulfur extraction from zinc concentrate in the old workshop is only 70%, while in the new one it will reach 96%. This will lead to reduced emissions, increased production volumes and reduced production costs.

As part of the modernization, modern filters from the Danish company "FLSmidth" are being installed instead of outdated GK-30 electrostatic precipitators, which no longer cope with their task. Their launch will prevent zinc losses and increase its extraction from concentrate. This will have a positive effect on the economic indicators of the enterprise and ensure the stability of the technological process in the new workshop.

Information:

On September 30, 2022, a bilateral EPC contract was signed with the German company Metso Outotec for the construction of a new sulfuric acid shop №6 with an annual capacity of 180,000 tons (two production lines). In November 2023, Olmalikmetallurgqurilish trust began excavation work. On April 8, 2024, Metso Outotec began supplying equipment. The total cost of the project is EUR 72.1 million. After commissioning, 80 new jobs will be created in the shop.