Natural Soda is a wholly owned subsidiary of Natural Resources USA Corporation, one of the largest producers of sodium bicarbonate in North America. The approval led the company to finalize design plans and contract terms with HPD, an evaporation and crystallization company based in Chicago, Illinois, Natural Soda said in a statement.
President and COO of Natural Soda and Natural Resources USA Corporation Bradley Bunnett said that HPD has been contracted for the purchase and installation of an upgraded boiler and heat transfer system designed to support the additional production volume at the existing production facility, due to be completed by July 2011 at a cost of $4.8m.
"The installation of a new boiler system will increase our current production from 125,000 tons per annum to 150,000 tons per annum and the existing boilers will be retained as back up units,” he said. "…A new high efficiency, low emissions boiler will produce twice the heating capacity of our two existing boilers and, importantly, produce fewer emissions. This initial expansion will allow us to sell incremental tons while we consider further upgrades at the plant.”
Bunnett added that initial design work for a second line of crystallizers has also been completed, although their installation has yet to be approved by the board.
"By installing the upgraded boiler system now, we increase production of the existing crystallizers while finalizing and gaining approval from the board for the larger expansion,” he said.
Natural Soda said it produced 107,000 tons of sodium bicarbonate during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2010.