Veolia Water completes award-winning zero liquid discharge plant in Madagascar

Feb. 5, 2013 - PRLog -- Veolia commissioned Metso ND Engineering to pre-manufacture three large crystalliser structures, along with a series of ancillary tanks and equipment, in modular form for shipment from Durban to the mine’s processing site, Toamasina, for final assembly. The project marks the first time, in South Africa, that a crystallisation plant of this size was constructed off-site to enable reduced costs and shorter construction periods.

The structures, 10m x 10m and 17m high in size, are designed to withstand 280 km/h hurricane winds, as well as mild earthquakes caused by nearby fault lines. Metso ND Engineering used 316L stainless steel, and carefully co-ordinated the three shipments to coincide with Veolia’s ground-up assembly approach.

Veolia has since successfully handed over a completely functional ammonium sulphate extraction plant to the Ambatovy Mine, capable of drying up to 26 tons per hour for sale as a fertiliser to agricultural markets.

The largest crystallisation project designed in South Africa
Because the ammonium sulphate is found in a slurry solution (already stripped of nickel and cobalt by the mine’s main refinement processes), engineers agreed that crystallisation would be the best extraction technology: Crystallisation facilitates large scale evaporation, effectively drying the ammonium sulphate into a waterless and manageable product.

Veolia designed the zero liquid discharge (ZLD) recovery plant, manufactured system components, and project-managed suppliers from around the world, including Metso ND Engineering, to deliver the plant to suit the refinery start-up schedule.

Maximising value
The ammonium sulphate extraction plant will boost Ambatovy’s profitability, while utilising available resources to the maximum. This flagship project will set the trend in the African mining industry to make the most of available mineral assets using viable ZLD and extraction technology.

Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies, subsidiary of Veolia Water, is a leading design & build company and a specialised provider of technological solutions in water treatment. With 10,767 employees, Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies recorded revenue of €2.315 billion in 2011. www.veoliawaterst.com

Veolia Water, the water division of Veolia Environnement, is the world leader in water and wastewater services. Specialised in outsourcing services for municipal authorities, as well as industrial and service companies, it is also one of the world’s major designers of technological solutions and constructor of facilities needed in water and wastewater services. With 96,651 employees in 69 countries, Veolia Water provides water service to 103 million people and wastewater service to 73 million. Its 2011 revenue amounted to €12.617 billion. www.veoliawater.com

Captions:
1. Veolia has since successfully handed over a completely functional ammonium sulphate extraction plant to the Ambatovy Mine.

Contact:
Gunter Rencken, Managing Director
Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies South Africa (Pty) Ltd
www.veoliawaterst.co.za
Tel: 011 663 3600
Fax: 011 608 4772
E-mail: info.southafrica@veoliawater.com