Aker Kvaerner Contract for Smelter Acid Plant in Southern Peru

The Chemetics divison of Aker Kvaerner Canada Inc. and Kvaerner Peru SA have been awarded the contracts by Southern Peru Copper Corporation to build the second sulphuric acid plant and effluent treatment plant at its copper smelter in Ilo Peru.

The lump sum contracts which are valued at approximately USD59m include the complete design, supply, erection, and commissioning of the plant.

The project will be managed from Chemetics' office in Vancouver, Canada, where it will also carry out the majority of the engineering. Chemetics will be supported by other Aker Kvaerner companies including KPSA and Aker Kvaerner Industrial Constructors (AKIC), who will manage site construction.

Chemetics supplied the first acid plant at the Ilo site in 1995.

SPCC is 54.2 per cent owned by Grupo Mexico, the world's third largest copper producer. The new 3760 metric tonnes per day capacity acid plant is required to capture the off-gases from the smelter which is also being modernised as part of the Ilo site's overall environmental compliance with Peruvian plant emission regulations.