Spolana must stop mercury-chlorine production

10 May 2007 15:52  [Source: ICIS news]

PRAGUE (ICIS news)--Czech polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plant Spolana must stop using mercury-based chlorine production technology based on amalgam electrolysis by 2014, due to its potentially hazardous nature, the Central Bohemia regional government said on Thursday.

 

A spokesman for the regional government said it had opted against the 2010 deadline proposed by Czech environmental NGO Arnika and instead agreed the later date which Spolana had said it could realistically comply with.

 

Spolana, he added, was now under instruction to submit a schedule for the changeover to mercury-free technology based on membrane electrolysis which initial estimates provided by the company showed would cost up to (Kc) koruna 3bn (€106.2m/$143.9m).

 

Czech synthetic resins producer Spolchemie is under instruction from Usti nad Labem regional government to convert its chlorine unit to non-mercury technology by 2012.

 

Poland’s Anwil PVC producer bought Spolana from the Unipetrol group for (Kc) koruna 640m last November.

 

($1=Kc20.9)

(€1=Kc28.2)

By: Will Conroy
+44 20 8652 3214

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