THAILAND - CHONBURI RECYCLING PLANT
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The Chonburi Recycling Plant is one of a number of plants planned around the world. There is no schedule currently set for its development. The project will comprise a rotary hearth furnace and a submerged arc electric melter. Two sites are being considered in the Chonburi Industrial Estate. The Chonburi Industrial Estate which is host to three electric arc furnaces, lies 30 km inland at the heart of the Thai steel industry. Concentrate upgrading may be undertaken at a coastal location and a number of potential sites are being considered for this. It is planned to treat 200,000 tonnes per year of electric arc furnace dust (EAFD) containing an average grade of about 21% zinc. CRP has the potential to produce 66,000 tonnes per annum of a lead bearing zinc oxide concentrate (62% zinc, 6% lead), together with 60,000 tonnes per annum of pig iron and 33,000 tonnes per annum of by-product slag.
Thailand produces about 5.5 million tonnes of steel, all of which is from electric arc furnaces, this generates over 90,000 tonnes per annum of EAFD, most of which is being sent for disposal in cement kilns of landfill. All the major steel companies in Thailand had entered into long term supply option agreements with ZincOx. Some of these supply agreements have lapsed, as a result of delays to the financing for the USA plant.
In order to meet the minimum target size for the rotary hearth furnace, additional EAFD will need to be brought to the site from neighbouring countries. Indeed there are several countries in the region which produce small quantities of EAFD, each of which is too small to warrant a national recycling plant. The ZincOx strategy is to develop a central plant that can treat EAFD generated across the region. The company has started to negotiate long term supply agreements with various mills in the region and one supply option agreement has already been entered into with a Malaysian mill.
Thailand allows the importation of hazardous waste for recycling and the appropriate government departments have confirmed their willingness to permit the importation of EAFD provided CRP meets all environmental regulations. The company’s recycling plans have enjoyed the strong support of the steel industry, and the government’s industrial and environmental authorities.
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