Selects Johor Bahru For High Purity Alumina (HPA) Site
Perth, Dec 4, 2014 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Altech Chemicals Limited (Altech/the Company) (
ASX:ATC) is pleased to announce that it has selected the Tanjung Langsat Industrial Park in Johor Bahru (JB), the capital city of Johor state, Malaysia, as the preferred location for its proposed high purity alumina (HPA) processing plant.
The Company recently concluded an evaluation of the south-east Asia Pacific region, with a number of possible site locations for the construction of a HPA processing plant identified and considered, including Kwinana, Western Australia.
The final selection of a preferred site in Malaysia was based on significant economic and developmental benefits of the construction and operation of a HPA plant in the Tanjung Langsat Industrial Park, including the ready availability of required consumables such as hydrochloric acid, sulphuric acid, power and natural gas - all at highly competitive prices.
The availability of skilled labour, proximity to an international container sea-port and an international airport (Singapore), and various investment incentives are also on offer.
It is envisaged that the beneficiated aluminous clay feedstock for the HPA processing plant (approximately 21,000tpa), will be shipped in "bulka bags" from the Company's Meckering deposit in Western Australia via Fremantle port to the Tanjung Landsat international sea container port, which is adjacent to the Tanjung Landsat Industrial Park. Also, the Tanjung Langsat Industrial Park is approximately 40 minutes by road from Singapore.
Operating costs for a HPA plant located in Malaysia were estimated to be in the region of 40% lower compared to an equivalent plant operated in Western Australia. In addition, the shipping of the Company's final HPA product from the Tanjung Langsat international sea container port to nearby Asian markets will provide both cost and delivery time advantages.
In terms of capital costs, preliminary engineering studies have estimated that costs associated with the construction of a HPA plant at Tanjung Langsat are likely to be in the region of 50-60% lower, compared to Australia.
Overall, Altech expects its proposed HPA plant to be in the bottom quartile of the operating cost curve for the world's HPA producers.
Altech's HPA project has the potential to enhance the Malaysian region's HPA value-add chain, as sapphire glass producers such as Rubicon Technology, currently operate a facility in Malaysia.
Letter of Intent
Altech recently submitted a Letter of Intent (LOI) to TPM Technopark Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of Johor Corporation, for the reservation of Lot PLO 127 on Jalan Rizab, Tanjung Langsat Industrial Park (refer Figures 1 and 2).
The Lot is approximately 4 hectares in size and is in a section of the industrial park reserved for chemical facilities. The Lot was selected for its proximity to hydrochloric acid, sulphuric acid and quicklime plants - all required consumables for the Company's proposed HPA plant. In addition, reticulated natural gas, high voltage power and access to processing water are all readily available.
To assist the Company in securing the necessary approvals for the construction and operation of the HPA plant, Altech has appointed a highly experienced local environmental consultant, Daya Eco Techno Sdn Bhd.
About Johor State
Renowned as being the most sought after location for industries in Malaysia, Johor is a dynamic and vibrant industrial corridor for the world's manufacturing hub, the south-east Asian region. The only state in Malaysia with three ports and an international airport for cargo, Johor is the international metropolis for investment providing political and social stability, fully-developed industrial parks, a growing English-speaking workforce, supportive government policies with attractive tax incentives and low inflation rate. Johor has the largest concentration of the world's leading manufacturers and exporters of electronic products such as semiconductors and artificial sapphires; solar panel and glass products; textiles and rubber and wood products.
About Tanjung Langsat Industrial Complex
Tanjung Langsat is located approximately 40km to the south east of the city of Johor Bahru and caters to light, medium to heavy industries. The industrial hub contains multinational production groups from petrochemical, oil and gas, resource-based, ferrous and non-ferrous metal, biofuel, marine, palm oil and oleochemicals. Major companies operating within the Tanjung Langsat industrial complex include major Spanish steel manufacturer Acerinox Group; Titan Petrochemicals; Kiswire; Dairen Chemicals; Dialog and Lion Eco Chemical.
To view figures, please visit:
http://media.abnnewswire.net/media/en/docs/78903-ASX-ATC-20141120.pdf
About Altech Batteries Ltd
Altech Batteries Limited (ASX:ATC) (FRA:A3Y) is a specialty battery technology company that has a joint venture agreement with world leading German battery institute Fraunhofer IKTS ("Fraunhofer") to commercialise the revolutionary CERENERGY(R) Sodium Alumina Solid State (SAS) Battery. CERENERGY(R) batteries are the game-changing alternative to lithium-ion batteries. CERENERGY(R) batteries are fire and explosion-proof; have a life span of more than 15 years and operate in extreme cold and desert climates. The battery technology uses table salt and is lithium-free; cobalt-free; graphite-free; and copper-free, eliminating exposure to critical metal price rises and supply chain concerns.
The joint venture is commercialising its CERENERGY(R) battery, with plans to construct a 100MWh production facility on Altech's land in Saxony, Germany. The facility intends to produce CERENERGY(R) battery modules to provide grid storage solutions to the market.
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