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Coromandel International is making a significant investment to establish a new phosphoric acid-sulphuric acid complex in Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh. The project, valued at ?1,000 crore, aims to expand the companys capacity for fertiliser manufacturing and promote backward integration.
The planned facility will feature a 650-tonne per day (tpd) phosphoric acid plant using advanced dihydrate attack-hemihydrate filtration (DA-HF) process technology and an automated distributed control system (DCS). This strategic development will replace over 50% of the imported phosphoric acid needs for Coromandels Kakinada fertiliser plant.
Additionally, the company will build an 1,800 tpd sulphuric acid plant to meet the captive requirements for phosphoric acid production. The waste heat generated during the process will be harnessed for power generation. Phosphoric acid and sulphuric acid are key components in the production of phosphatic fertilisers like diammonium phosphate (DAP) and NPKs.
With the new complex, Coromandel’s Kakinada unit will join the companys fully integrated fertiliser plants at Visakhapatnam and Ennore, making it the second-largest phosphatic fertiliser facility in India with a total capacity of two million tonnes. This expansion contributes approximately 15% of Indias total NPK fertiliser output. The new plant also provides a habitat for numerous bird species, supporting biodiversity and ecosystem conservation.
Arun Alagappan, Executive Chairman of Coromandel International, highlighted the importance of the investment, stating, "This is a pivotal moment in Coromandels journey toward strengthening self-sufficiency in fertiliser manufacturing. We have been focusing on building our upstream supply chain with investments in mining projects and enhancing intermediate product capacity at Visakhapatnam for phosphoric and sulphuric acid. The new plant in Kakinada, designed with world-class technology, aligns with the governments Atma Nirbhar Bharat initiative and will create employment opportunities in Andhra Pradesh."
The company is also exploring potential investment support from State and Central governments to ensure project viability and strengthen the security of raw material supplies essential for fertiliser manufacturing.
Coromandel has partnered with leading technology companies for the development of the complex. It has signed contracts with Prayon, Belgium, for DA-HF process technology for phosphoric acid manufacturing, with MECS, USA, for double-contact double-absorption (DCDA) process technology for sulphuric acid, and with thyssenkrupp UHDE for detailed engineering of both acid projects. |
