Shintech Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd. (Tokyo; www. shinetsu.co.jp), has selected Veolia Water Technologies (www.veoliawatertechnologies.com) to supply its HPD salt crystallizer and a caustic soda concentration systems as part of the expansion of their production facility in Plaquemine, Louisiana. Veolia Water Technologies previously completed turnkey caustic evaporation & salt crystallizer systems at the Plaquemine facility first in 2006 and then again in 2009.
This new phase will include a complete salt production plant and caustic soda evaporation system designed and built by Veolia. It includes construction, engineering, installation of major and ancillary equipment, foundations and pilings, structural steel, instrumentation, and commissioning support.
A single-stage, mechanical vapor recompression (MVR) evaporated salt crystallizer will be used to produce ultra-pure salt, that will be utilized in the new chlor-alkali plant. Membrane grade caustic soda will then be concentrated in an HPD triple-effect evaporation system.
Shintech’s expansion will produce vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) and other intermediate products such as chlorine, caustic soda as a byproduct of chlorine production and ethylene dichloride. Shin-Etsu is the world’s largest producer of PVC.
“Veolia was chosen to supply the third plant due to the successful project execution and startup of the two earlier facilities as well as demonstrated project execution in large-scale salt crystallizer systems and caustic soda evaporator systems worldwide.” commented Klaus Andersen, CEO Veolia Water Technologies Americas.