Controversy surrounds sulfuric acid storage unit in Port of Maceió

The proposed construction of a Sulfuric Acid Storage Unit in the Port of Maceió has come under scrutiny from environmental entities, specialists, and the Prosecutor’s Office of the state Alagoas (MP-AL), which has called for the judicial impugnation of the project.

The terminal, spanning an area of nearly 8,000 square meters, is intended to house a storage facility for sulfuric acid. However, its proposed location between the main urban beaches of the city has raised concerns among stakeholders.

The project is spearheaded by the French multinational company Timac Agro Indústria e Comércio de Fertilizantes, which obtained approval from the Federal Government in 2020. The stored sulfuric acid will be employed in one of the company’s fertilizer factories in Santa Luzia do Norte, within the metropolitan region of Maceió.

The Sulfuric Acid Reception and Storage Unit (UREAS in Portuguese) will serve as a facility to store this highly corrosive acid, widely used in the petrochemical industry for manufacturing paper, fertilizers, dyes, and car batteries, among other applications.

The company asserts that the asset will ensure a stable supply of sulfuric acid to Brazil’s North and Northeast regions. If the terminal is inaugurated, the Port of Maceió will be the only port operator specialized in this type of cargo “in such a way that the market share gain should meet all the available installed capacity.”

According to the company’s proposal, the sulfuric acid will be transported by cargo ships and unloaded through a system employing hose connections and piping leading to the receiving tank. This tank will then store the acid until it is dispatched to companies that need it. Approximately four ships per year are estimated to deliver 32,000 tonnes annually.

Source: G1

To read the original piece, please refer to: https://g1.globo.com/al/alagoas/noticia/2023/06/14/por-que-a-instalacao-de-terminal-de-acido-sulfurico-no-porto-de-maceio-e-alvo-de-questionamentos.ghtml#5

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