K-UTEC AG Salt Technologies

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K-UTEC AG Salt Technologies is a company from Sondershausen in Thuringia . The company is considered to be the market leader in the field of salt and potash research and related industrial and consulting services and is described in the press as the hidden champion of German medium- sized companies . The name K-UTEC stands for "Kali-Umwelttechnik".

Company history

The Glückauf potash plant in Sondershausen

The origin of the company is the nationally owned Kombinat Kali in the GDR . The headquarters of the combine was relocated to Sondershausen due to the Glückauf potash plant . In 1992 the company Kali-Umwelttechnik GmbH emerged from the combine and has since been able to fall back on patents and expertise from the old "potash research". In 2008 the company Kali-Umwelttechnik became K-UTEC AG Salt Technologies. In 2011 employees held 38% of the shares in K-UTEC AG.

Sales development

K-UTEC shows a clearly positive sales development. In 2010 sales were € 5.6 million, in 2011 € 6.1 million and in 2014 already around € 8 million

Business areas

K-UTEC is an international industrial service provider. The focus is on industrial salts. K-UTEC's fields of activity include the exploration of new raw material deposits and their development. To this end, the company is planning facilities for raw material processing and development. The company is also active in the reuse, monitoring and recultivation of mining facilities. Also, the lithium extraction is an important business area of the company, in the wake of increased demand for the alkali metal has been strengthened. Orders abroad, which in 2011 accounted for 43% of all orders, play an important role.

In February 2017 it was announced that K-UTEC Salt Technologies is entering into a cooperation with K + S AG . The cooperation mainly concerns the area of ​​potash mining. Among other things, a process for increased potassium sulfate recovery from wastewater is to be developed and a feasibility study with regard to technical and financial aspects is to be carried out.

structure

The company is divided into five key areas:

Bulk orders

With major orders in several countries, K-UTEC made the national press several times. The company often provides the necessary technical know-how in developing countries .

Salt deposits in Peru

The company received the largest order to date in the company's history at the end of 2011. K-UTEC was commissioned with the exploration and exploitation of the salt deposits in the Reservorio de Cañamac salt lake in Peru . The order volume was € 4.76 million.

Potassium nitrate production in Laos

Since 2014, in cooperation with a Japanese-Thai company, K-UTEC has been developing a plant for potassium nitrate production in Laos, costing a total of US $ 330 million . At the insistence of the Lao government, particular attention is paid to avoiding chemical waste during the construction.

Lithium deposits in Bolivia

In 2018 it became known that the Bolivian state awarded the contract for the development of the enormous lithium deposits in the Salar de Uyuni to a German consortium consisting of the company ACI-Systems and K-UTEC AG Salt Technologies. The contract for the development of lithium, an important raw material, was fierce as many international consortia had applied. The order has a volume of € 4.5 million and is expected to result in the completion of a plant for the production of 30,000 t of lithium carbonate per year.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Dieter Lücke: Potash mining could come back. In: Thuringian General . October 4, 2012, accessed July 15, 2019 .
  2. ↑ Dieter Lücke: Portrait of an unusual turning point story: The “Kali Professor” is 80. In: tlz.de. April 22, 2017. Retrieved July 15, 2019 .
  3. ↑ K-Utec Salt Technologies engineering service provider from Sondershausen in the company database wirdzu-wem.de. Accessed December 31, 2018 .
  4. ↑ Dieter Lücke: K-UTEC AG Salt Technologies: From Petersenschacht to Bolivia. June 23, 2015, accessed on July 12, 2019 (German).
  5. ↑ With K-UTEC into the world: 11/24/2011, 4:25 p.m. Retrieved on July 12, 2019 (German).
  6. ↑ Company history - K-UTEC. Accessed December 31, 2018 .
  7. ↑ K + S: A look into the future! February 11, 2017, accessed July 12, 2019 .
  8. ↑ Dieter Lücke: K-UTEC AG Salt Technologies: From Petersenschacht to Bolivia. June 23, 2015, accessed on July 12, 2019 (German).
  9. ↑ With K-UTEC into the world: 11/24/2011, 4:25 p.m. Retrieved on July 12, 2019 (German).
  10. ↑ The Thuringian K-Utec AG Salt Technologies concludes two contracts with Vienachem for the planning and construction of a 'clean' (= waste-free) potassium-sodium production in Laos. Retrieved July 12, 2019 .
  11. ↑ WORLD: Salar de Uyuni: Thuringian company is to promote lithium in Bolivia . In: THE WORLD . August 16, 2015 ( welt.de [accessed December 31, 2018]).
  12. ↑ P2 / Facing Finance: K-UTEC AG Salt Technologies participates in the controversial mining of lithium in Bolivia | Facing finance. Accessed December 31, 2018 (German).
  13. ↑ Bolivia chooses ACI Systems as a strategic partner for the industrialization of lithium deposits. Accessed December 31, 2018 (German).