Sulphate of Potash(SOP)
SOP ensures the highest crop quality, even in difficult conditions. SOP contains both potassium and sulphur, two essential nutrients for crops. Potassium boosts the physical condition of crops, helping to regulate water absorption and raising resistance to infection, hence increasing crop quality. Sulphur is an essential element in forming proteins, enzymes and vitamins in plants, playing a key role in determining the nutritional quality of foods.
Clear project concept for SOP relying on a well proven technology
Hydrogeology: to provide water for the process
Water wells Storage of water sourced from aquifer resources of the region
Solution mining
The potash minerals are extracted from the ground by solution mining. The product from solution mining is a brine containing a mixture of salts
Evaporation in production ponds
The brine is pumped to large evaporation ponds for evaporation. Unwanted minerals like halite are removed and the potassium bearing minerals are crystallized
Wet processing plant
The salt mix is harvested using mobile equipment and transported to the wet processing plant by a fleet of trucks
Dry processing plant
The wet SOP is de-brined, dried and adjusted to the final products by screening and compacting in the Dry Process Plant
SOP product load-out
The final product is loaded on trucks in the Product Load Out section
Road transportation
The product is transported 625km to the port terminal in Tadjoura, Djibouti by a fleet of trucks
Shipment from Tadjoura port terminal to the world market
The product is loaded onto ships at the newly built Port of Tadjoura and exported
Evaporation in recycle ponds
Remaining potassium bearing brine is recycled to the Process Recycle Ponds to recover more potassium salts which again is fed to the wet plant
Evaporation in recycle ponds
Remaining potassium bearing brine is recycled to the Process Recycle Ponds to recover more potassium salts which again is fed to the wet plant
Solution
mining
The potash minerals are extracted from the ground by solution mining. The product from solution mining is a brine containing a mixture of salts
Evaporation in
production ponds
The brine is pumped to large evaporation ponds for evaporation. Unwanted minerals like halite are removed and the potassium bearing minerals are crystallized
Wet
processing plant
The salt mix is harvested using mobile equipment and transported to the wet processing plant by a fleet of trucks
Dry
processing plant
The wet SOP is de-brined, dried and adjusted to the final products by screening and compacting in the Dry Process Plant
SOP
product load-out
The final product is loaded on trucks in the Product Load Out section
Road
transportation
The product is transported 625km to the port terminal in Tadjoura, Djibouti by a fleet of trucks
Shipment from Tadjoura port terminal to the world market
The product is loaded onto ships at the newly built Port of Tadjoura and exported
Simple, proven flow sheet in use today
