Salt (sodium chloride) is an industrial chemical extracted from the sea by solar evaporation, and is a fundamental product in chemical and food-related applications. Traditionally used as a preservative in the food manufacturing industry, salt is also the key raw material for chlor-alkali factories that produce caustic soda (sodium hydroxide) and chlorine, and soda ash (sodium carbonate).
The Salt Production Process
1/8 Seawater intake
2/8 Increase in the salinity of seawater to produce fully saturated brine (in terms of sodium chloride)
3/8 Promotion of crystallisation of sodium chloride to produce a salt crop (salt growth)
4/8 Harvesting of the salt crop with a mobile plant (harvester)
5/8 Hauling harvested salt crop to the salt-washing plant
6/8 Washing the salt crop
7/8 Storing the final product
8/8 Shipping the product by dry bulk carrier
Salt Production
The critical part of the operation from the viewpoint of quality control is to produce fully saturated brine to be fed into crystalliser ponds. Further evaporation in these ponds crystallises the sodium chloride (salt) and creates a salt crop in the crystalliser ponds.
Each crystalliser pond is harvested once a year. The harvested salt is loaded into a haulage trailer and transferred to the salt-washing plant.
The salt is washed with brine and/or seawater to meet the customer product specifications. All washed salt is transferred and stacked in the stockpile area by belt conveyor and stacker. After a few weeks of storage at the stockpile, the salt dries out.
All salt is exported by bulk carrier ship using the Company’s own ship-loading facility.