Under a recently signed €20 million contract, Siebtechnik GmbH (Muelheim, Germany; www.siebtechnik.de) has begun delivery of a set of 40 large-capacity centrifuges to Chinese potash producer Qinhai Salt Lake Industry Co. (Qinghai Potash Production; QPP; Golmud, China). On Wednesday evening at Achema, Siebtechnik celebrated the agreement with QPP leaders. The first set of 12 machines will be delivered in June 2012, with the remaining 28 to be delivered by November. The range of potassium salts that comprise potash are largely used for fertilizers in agriculture.
The order involves the CX 1500 centrifuge, which at a capacity of 100 tons per hour per machine, is the largest worm/screen centrifuge ever manufactured, said Siebtechnik managing director Horst Dietschreit. The CX 1500 model was specially designed last year at the request of the customer, and Siebtechnik developed a test model within seven months.
“All Siebtechnik centrifuges are specially designed for specific applications,” explained Siebtechnik managing director Karl Bongartz. “That allows customers to realize higher production efficiencies.” Further, the CX 1500 was designed with a smaller number of components to reduce maintenance requirements, he added.
The 40 centrifuges will be installed at a QPP facility that will initially produce 1 million tons per year of potash. Eventually, the plant will expand to 3 million tons per year with the help of a total of 120 CX 1500 centrifuges.
Siebtechnik is in the process of constructing a new factory facility in China that will be completed in November 2012. Just prior to Achema, the company received orders for CX 1500 models from companies in India and Canada, Dietschreit said.
To complete the large order, Siebtechnik enlisted the help of its own retired engineers, who returned to work for this project.