IRRICANA, Alta. – A fertilizer plant capable of processing more than 300 tonnes of sulfur fertilizer a day will start production in June.
Fernz Sulfer Works Inc., owned by Fernz Corporation Limited from New Zealand, is located north of the central Alberta village of Irricana.
Originally scheduled to start fertilizer production in March, the plant suffered a setback in January.
Static electricity in dust triggered a series of explosions throughout the dust collection and conveying systems. A fire damaged a dryer, fiberglass scrubber and a rubber conveyor belt. As well, smoke damaged the inside and outside of the facility, said plant operator Chris Klappe.
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Since sulfur is volatile, extra precautions have been put in place since the explosion, including keeping oxygen levels down in the plant.
“One Aspirin-sized particle of sulfur in one cubic metre of air could cause an explosion,” said Klappe.
Most of the damage has been repaired and company officials hope the plant will be operating 24 hours a day by June. About 25 people will work in the fully automated plant. Most operations are run by a computer system.
Raw sulfur is a byproduct of natural gas plants. It will be delivered to the processor daily from a plant in central Alberta.
At the Irricana site, there are three bins each capable of holding 306 tonnes of raw sulfur. The plant can process the contents of one bin per day.
To make fertilizer, the sulfur is ground into powder and then pelletized using water and a binder. The pellets are 12 percent moisture.
The plant is located on the main CN rail line, which allows the company to load processed sulfur for overseas customers. About half the production is for export.
Agro service centres can also buy in bulk from 10 storage tanks that hold 106 tonnes each.
Sulfur fertilizer is used in forage crops like alfalfa and clover, as well as oilseeds.
