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Tata Chemicals (Soda Ash) Partners, the US-based subsidiary of Tata Chemicals, has tied up with Church & Dwight Co, Inc and FMC Corporation to form a joint venture company Natronx Technologies, LLC to manufacture and market sodium-based, dry sorbents for air pollution control in electric utility and industrial boiler operations.
Natronx intends to invest about $60 million (Rs 300 crore) to construct a 450,000 tonnes per year facility to produce trona sorbents by the fourth quarter of 2012. The investment will be shared equally by the joint venture partners, Tata Chemicals said in a press release on Thursday.
The sorbents, primarily sodium bicarbonate and trona, are used by coal-fired utilities to remove harmful pollutants such as acid gases, in flue-gas treatment processes. Independent estimates put market demand for these sorbents at $200-$400 million range by 2015, the release said.
Headquartered in New Jersey, Natronx Technologies will produce, sell and distribute sorbents to users of Dry Sorbent Injection (DSI) technology.
The US Environmental Protection Agency has estimated that DSI technology may be employed by nearly 20 per cent of US coal-fired electric generation capacity as part of compliance with air pollution regulations issued in March 2011. DSI technology enables utilities to reduce the significant capital investment required by the new regulations by using this sodium-based media in the removal technique.
“Natronx combines the best of each company's technologies and know-how in building a world class business, based on new technology, with manufacturing capability to produce and supply sodium sorbent products,” said Mr Arthur Esposito, General Manager, Natronx.
Tata Chemicals Partners mining and processing facility in the US produces high quality soda ash for the world's glass, detergent and sodium-based chemical markets.
Founded in 1846, Church & Dwight manufactures a wide range of personal care, household and specialty products under the Arm & Hammer brand while FMC Corporation is a diversified chemical company serving agricultural, industrial and consumer markets globally with innovative solutions and quality products.
Tata Chemicals shares on the BSE were down two per cent at Rs 332 on Thursday.
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