(BAT) Reference Document for the Production of Chlor-alkali ...

Chapter 4
typically seen to be not attractive if the payback time exceeds three years (see also
Section 4.3.2.3.2) [ 97, Concorde 2006 ], [ 114, Delfrate and Schmitt 2010 ].
In the case of the Altair Chimica plant in Volterra and the Solvay plant in Rosignano (both in
Italy), the conversion was subsidised with state aid [ 239, COM 2005 ].
Effects on competitiveness
SRI Consulting, who made a study of the competitiveness of the western European chlor-alkali
industry, reports that production costs for chlorine production by mercury technology are
mainly linked to fixed costs in which plant size plays an important role. Most mercury
technology plants in western Europe have capacities between 50 and 200 kt/y with an average
of about 157 kt/y of chlorine capacity. The situation is quite different in the U.S. Gulf where the
average plant size is significantly larger, with an average of 678 kt/y and structural economic
advantages linked to lower costs for main raw materials: salt and electricity higher in western
Europe (2.0 US cents/kg versus 3.6 in western Europe for salt and 2.8 US cents/kWh versus 4.3
for electricity). The SRI study concludes that the industry´s view of a forced phase-out of
mercury technology by 2010 is that conversion would be uneconomic for about 33% (2.2
million tonnes) of present mercury cell capacity, and that these plants would be closed. [SRI
Consulting, 1997] {The information in this paragraph is outdated.}
In EU-27 and EFTA countries western Europe, the cost of electrical energy is very dependent
on the basic source of energy and the type of contracts negotiated with suppliers, but the relative
differences between countries and regions remain. The special circumstances making a mercury
cell plant economical can change if the price of electrical energy increases sharply; in that case a
conversion to the membrane cell technique technology can become more attractive
economically.
Effect on downstream production
According to a chlorine flow study undertaken by Euro Chlor, sales of virgin chlorine account
for only a few percent of the trade balance. That means that Most of the chlorine produced is
used as a chemical intermediate either internally or by other companies. A key consideration,
therefore, is the downtime associated with the conversion and the impact on the production of
downstream products such as PVC. Caustic users will also be affected by restrictions in
chlor-alkali production.
Driving force for implementation
The driving forces for implementation of this technique include:
environmental legislation;
reduction of costs related to energy consumption;
capacity increase of an existing plant.
Example plants
More than 50 chlor-alkali plants worldwide have been converted to the membrane cell
technique since the beginning of the 1980s [ 229, Oceana 2007 ]. Example plants are listed in
Table 4.6.
WORKING DRAFT IN PROGRESS
Reference literature
[ 97, Concorde 2006 ], [ 114, Delfrate and Schmitt 2010 ], [ 211, Dibble and White 1988 ],
[ 224, Bayer 1998 ], [ 225, Lott 1995 ], [ 226, Schindler 2000 ], [ 227, de Flon 1998 ], [ 228,
PPG 2007 ], [ 229, Oceana 2007 ] [ 230, Schubert 2000 ] [ 231, Chemie Produktion 2000 ],
[ 232, Euro Chlor 2010 ], [ 233, SEPA 1997 ], [ 234, UBA AT 1998 ], [ 235, ANE 2010 ],
[ 236, EIPPCB 2011 ], [ 237, Lindley 1997 ]
[de Flon, 1998], [Dibble-White, 1988], [Euro Chlor paper, 1998], [Lindley, 1997], [Lott, 1995],
[SRI Consulting, 1997], [UBA (A), 1998]
160 December 2011 TB/EIPPCB/CAK_Draft_1