thyssenkrupp nucera strengthens its position as a preferred technology supplier in the Brazilian market. CAPE IGARASSU, a company managed by Chlorum Solutions, is converting its chlor-alkali plant in Igarassu in the Brazilian metropolitan region of Recife to a more environmentally friendly and safe solution for the supply of chlorine and its derivatives. The previous electrolysis plant with mercury electrodes will be replaced by electrolyzers with the highly efficient BM2.7 technology (bipolar membrane) from thyssenkrupp nucera.

The German company, which is one of the world's leading suppliers of technologies for high-efficiency electrolysis plants, is also providing engineering, equipment and consulting services for the construction and commissioning of the chlor-alkali plant. The conversion of the CAPE IGARASSU plant in Igarassu is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2025.

With the environmentally friendly BM2.7 membrane technology with a modular plant concept from thyssenkrupp nucera, CAPE IGARASSU will meet the requirements of the Minamata Convention. The Minamata Convention is an international treaty signed in 2013 to curb emissions and releases of mercury. The latest BM2.7 single element generation enables high energy savings through the use of a continuously optimized design and the latest energy-saving components.

Chlorum Solutions is a company with offices in Brazil and US that is active in chlorine and hypochlorite production for water treatment and operates six plants in South America. CAPE IGARASSU is investing the equivalent of around €55 MM in the new plant. CAPE IGARASSU acquired this plant from Compass Minerals in 2022. HCl, sodium hypochlorite, liquid chlorine (Cl2) and sodium hydroxide (NaOH) are the main products manufactured at the plant.

"With this investment, we are bringing our company's technology up to date in terms of energy and the environment in order to guarantee the continuity of supply of chlorine and its derivatives," said Rodrigo Duque, Industrial Director of CAPE IGARASSU. “The total production capacity of the chlor-alkali plant in Igarassu reaches 125 tons of chlorine equivalent per day, two-thirds of which (about 80 tons of chlorine equivalent per day) is accounted for by the new membrane plant replacing the mercury technology,” according to Dierce Wiques, Engineering Director of Chlorum Solutions.

"Chlorum Solutions' decision in favor of our modern BM2.7 technology is another highlight of our long and successful collaboration in Brazil. The company relies on our technology to retrofit its chlor-alkali plants to meet increased safety and environmental requirements. For us, this is further confirmation of our approach of tailoring our plants to the specific needs of our customers," said Dr. Gerhard Henssen, Managing Director at thyssenkrupp nucera Italy SRL.

Just last year, Chlorum Solutions, the pioneer in environmentally friendly chlorine supply solutions, commissioned thyssenkrupp nucera to install two modular chlor-alkali electrolysis plants, for the production of more than 30,000 tpy of chlorine as part of its business expansion in Brazil.