Resumen de Positive year ahead for chemical grade salt prices
"Additional synthetic soda ash production based on salt raw materials is projected at around 6.8m tonnes in 2018, requiring approximately 11m tonnes salt," [Vincent Pedailles] told IM.
Production increases are expected in India, where producers in the coastal state of Gujarat are moving away from labour intensive harvesting methods; in Australia, where Mitsui is planning to expand its capacity to 4.3m tpa, up from 3.8m tpa by 2016; in Mexico where Exportadora de sal (ESSA) plans to increase its output to 10m tpa from 8m tpa by 2017; and in Djibouti, where the Lake Assal project is targeting production from 2015, aiming to ramp up to production of 4m tpa salt in in the following years.
"At 278m tonnes, production was very low in 2012, and is estimated to recover to 287m tonnes in 2013, following a better situation in the de-icing market, although the chloralkali market is still weak," Pedailles said.
