Ma’aden, Metso, and thyssenkrupp Uhde to collaborate on phosphogypsum recycling

The Saudi Arabian Mining Company (Ma’aden), Finland’s Metso, and Germany’s thyssenkrupp Uhde have entered into a frame agreement for the development and licensing of a phosphogypsum processing solution for a calcination plant at Ras Al Khair in Saudi Arabia, Metso announced in a press release on Wednesday.

Metso said that the facility will rely on sulfur for the calcination of phosphogypsum and employ carbon-capture technologies that make use of the lime produced during the process. This will cut CO2 emissions across Ma’aden’s phosphate business, making it more sustainable.

Metso emphasized that Ma’aden’s patented concept will allow the company to use new technology to reduce carbon emissions and turn phosphogypsum into a useful resource. It said its role in will be to provide technological know-how.

The press release quoted Hannes Storch, the VP for metals and chemical processing at Metso, as saying: ‘We’re excited to see this unique project moving forward. The new concept for the phosphogypsum processing will be a major step forward in the fertilizer industry, contributing to sustainability targets, such as waste recovery and limiting global warming. Metso will contribute to the project with our extensive expertise and experience in the field of fluid bed, gas cleaning, and sulfuric acid solutions.’