Cyanco to build new sodium cyanide plant at Ascend site in Texas
Cyanco plans to construct a new 55,000 metric ton/year sodium cyanide plant at the Ascend Performance Materials site in Alvin, Texas.
Cyanco and Ascend have executed long-term agreements, the companies said on Wednesday, under which acrylonitrile producer Ascend will supply hydrogen cyanide, utilities and services to the new Cyanco plant.
"The Ascend site provides significant opportunity to third-party manufacturers because of its world-scale and operating competencies," said Tim Strehl, president of Ascend.
Cyanco said it expects the plant to be operational in the second half of 2012. Engineering is underway and applications for required environmental permits have been submitted, it said.
The plant will produce solid sodium cyanide briquettes and will have the capability of shipping product in hopper cars, ISO containers, 1 metric ton bag/boxes and 1 metric ton composite packaging, the companies said.
"We are pleased to enter into a long-term relationship with an industry leader like Ascend,” said John Burrows, Cyanco's president and CEO. “As a result of new contracts expanding our global customer base and growing commitments under existing sales contracts, we expect the new plant to be operating at or near capacity shortly after startup.
“After completion of the new plant, Cyanco will have a total production capacity of 125,000 metric tons per year, and will be uniquely positioned to serve the mining industry from the two plants in Nevada, a terminal in Quebec and this strategically positioned plant on the Texas Gulf coast,” Burrows said.
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