KUWAIT - The Chlorine & Salt Plants.

PIC operates three salt and chlorine complexes, two in Shuaiba and one in Shuwaikh. The latter complex was expanded in September 1984, when additional units came on stream. The new 75 t/d chlorine plant was built by Tokuyama Soda Co. of Japan which supplied the process technology, engineering services and machinery, and equipment. The 150 t/d salt plant was built by the same company under a turnkey contract covering the process licence, engineering and procurement services, construction supervision and commissioning.

PIC brought a third salt and chlorine plant on stream in Shuaiba in September 1986 with a capacity of 57 t/d of chlorine, 84 t/d of caustic soda and 150 t/d of salt. That brought PIC's total capacity to around 160 t/d of chlorine, 350 t/d of salt and 200 t/d of caustic soda. In 1987-88 the salt and chlorine units were transferred from Shuwaikh to Shuaiba. A new pipeline linking plants A and B, required for supplying carbon dioxide to plant A, was completed in May 1988.

Three aluminium projects have been proposed to be set up in the emirate. The private Kuwait Industries Co. (KIC) is still awaiting approval from the established Public Authority for Industry to build a 900,000 t/y alumina plant and an aluminium smelter with a capacity of 200,000 t/y. The three projects will cost about $2 bn and would be JVs with foreign investors. In a separate venture, Raytheon of the US - which builds the Patriot anti-missile missile - has submitted a plan to the government for a 230,000 t/y aluminium smelter to meet its offset investment obligations.