Swedish green technology company Cinis Fertilizer announced on Jan. 15 that it has signed a letter of intent (LOI) with Japan’s Itochu Corp. to cooperate on the sale of Cinis’ potassium sulfate (SOP) and sodium chloride products, as well as on the purchase of potassium chloride and sodium sulfate, inputs used in Cinis’ production.
The companies intend to enter into binding sales and delivery agreements and to study conditions for producing environmentally friendly mineral fertilizers in Asia, Lund-based Cinis said in a media statement. The LOI also includes seeking a location for a production facility in Asia and is aimed at Cinis establishing operations in Asia.
“We are still at an early stage in this collaboration,” said Cinis Fertilizer Founder and CEO Jakob Liedberg. “However, there is great potential for our environmentally friendly potassium sulfate, and with a partner like Itochu we should be able to quickly establish our circular business model also in Asia.”
Cinis is currently building its first production facility for 100,000 mt/y of SOP and sodium chloride near the town of Örnsköldsvik in Sweden, with a planned start-up in early 2024. In November, the company said it had decided to prioritize the construction of its planned 300,000 mt/y SOP facility in Hopkinsville, Ky., before a facility in Skellefteå, Sweden (GM Nov. 10, 2023).
In addition to the potential Asian plant, Cinis currently plans six production facilities to be in operation by 2030 with a total production capacity of about 1.5 million mt/y.