Swedish green tech company Cinis Fertilizer expects to produce fossil-free sulfate of potash (SOP) in first-quarter 2024 at its newly-built facility in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden. The company announced on Nov. 29 that it connected to the electricity grid so that fossil-free electricity is in the pipeline to the plant in Köpmanholmen, outside Örnsköldsvik.
“This is another milestone for the construction of our facility in Örnsköldsvik and an important part of our timetable to start production of fossil-free and circular potassium sulfate in early 2024,” said Jakob Liedberg, Cinis Founder and CEO. “There is a great demand for potassium sulfate, the type of mineral fertilizer that we will produce.”
Liedberg said the global market price for SOP has been affected by Russia’s war in Ukraine, “but we now see that volatility is decreasing and that prices have returned to the levels that will give us good profitability from 2024 onwards.” He noted the market pays a premium for the company’s water-soluble potassium sulfate.
Cinis said it will be the first company in the world to produce circular mineral fertilizer using waste products from pulp mills and electric car battery production. The first plant is expected to produce 100,000 mt/y. The company currently plans six facilities, with a total production capacity of about 1.5 million mt/y, to be in operation by 2030. Cinis recently accelerated its plans for a plant in Kentucky (GM Nov. 10, p. 31).
Cinis inked the power connection agreement with E.ON Energidistribution in May 2022 (GM May 20, 2022). Among other things, a distribution station is being rebuilt in different stages, while five kilometers of electric cable from this station to Cinis have been laid in the ground.
“This is yet another example of E.ON enabling the green industrial revolution in Norrland,” said Lena Berglund, E.ON Regional Manager, North. “It has been intensive work and we are very happy to now be able to connect this facility, which contributes to an innovative solution and new job opportunities in the municipality.”