Almalyk Mining and Metallurgical Combine is nearing completion of another important project –construction of the sulfuric acid plant No. 6 at the zinc plant.

Construction and installation works, including installation of equipment, are carried out by “Olmalikmetallurgurilish” trust and the specialized repair works department. The supply of process equipment is carried out by the German company Metso-Outotec under the EPC contract.

Particular attention is paid to the quality of the produced acid, which will be distinguished by a high degree of purity, as well as the compliance of the workshop with seismic resistance and safety requirements.

From the point of view of environmental safety, an important role is played by the installation of modern four-section gas cleaning filters manufactured by the Danish company FLSmidth. This will minimize zinc losses, increase the efficiency of its extraction from enriched raw materials, and also additionally extract rare metals from process gases, such as rhenium and selenium.

All the main units in the gas cleaning system are made of durable composite materials, which reduces the costs of their installation and maintenance.

The equipment of the drying and absorption department – acid conduit pipelines and heat exchangers – is made of acid-resistant stainless steel "SX", which ensures resistance to aggressive environments and long service life.

After the new workshop is put into operation, it will be possible to capture up to 79 thousand cubic meters of process gases per hour, preventing their release into the atmosphere. This will not only significantly improve the environmental situation in the region, but will also allow an additional annual production of up to 180 thousand tons of commercial sulfuric acid.

In 2025, AMMC plans to produce 690 thousand tons of sulfuric acid, all products will be sent to the domestic market. Sulfuric acid is widely used in the production of mineral fertilizers for the agro-industrial complex, car batteries, as well as in uranium mining.

For reference: today the leading positions in the world market of sulfuric acid are occupied by the Asia-Pacific region. The main consumers are China, India and Japan. Due to its hygroscopic and oxidizing properties, sulfuric acid is used in the production of fertilizers, chemical products, synthetic fabrics and pigments.

If in 2024 the volume of the world sulfuric acid market was 21.9 billion US dollars, then according to forecasts, by 2032 this figure will grow to 28.6 billion. Global production of sulfuric acid today reaches approximately 200 million tons per year.

What role does Uzbekistan play in this process?

The launch of a new metallurgical complex as part of the investment project for the development of the “Yoshlik I” deposit will allow an additional 1.8 million tons of sulfuric acid to be produced annually. This will provide Uzbekistan with more than 1.3% of the world production volume.