Houston-based Itafos Inc. on Sept. 30 announced a disruption in sulfuric acid supply to its Conda, Idaho, phosphate plant, from Rio Tinto’s Kennecott mine. The company said Conda fulfills approximately 40 percent of its sulfuric acid requirements from volumes produced internally and approximately 60 percent from a combination of volumes received from Rio Tinto’s Kennecott mine under a long-term supply agreement and volumes procured from other third-party producers.
On Sept. 28, 2021, Rio Tinto announced that it declared force majeure on shipments of copper cathode and sulfuric acid from its Kennecott mine after the smelter was shut down on Sept. 21, 2021, following a release of molten copper materials. According to the announcement, Rio Tinto is currently assessing the work needed to safely restart operations at the smelter and is working closely with their customers to minimize any impacts.
Itafos said it has been and will continue working to mitigate potential adverse effects of the disruption. In addition, it said it is evaluating the overall expected impact of the disruption, including whether an update on its guidance for 2021 is warranted.