Kasel, Germany — In a ceremony Nov. 1, K+S Kali GmbH laid the foundation stone to mark the construction of a new €21 million high-purity potassium chloride (KCI 99) compaction facility at its Zielitz site in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. K+S said the new unit will further refine the product characteristics of the fine-grained product, so that KCI 99 can then be produced at a new level of quality. Due to the coarser granulation, it said the spreadability of the product will be increased and its storage and handling improved. The production line comprises a mechanical facility for compacting, as well as an additional building for storage and loading. Construction is expected to be completed in mid-2013, with trial operation expected for December 2013, and the first volume of compacted KCI 99 available for the market in January 2014. The product is used in industrial production processes, with a major use chlorine-alkaline electrolysis. K+S said the chemical precursors and compounds created in this process are indispensible for the production of pharmaceuticals, glass, ceramics, and plant protection products. The Zielitz potash plant employs 1,800, and the plant’s share in the total production of K+S is about 30 percent.
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