Vateris is a developer of a high-purity, low carbon potassium sulphate (SOP). Based in Nottingham, UK, the company reports that its pilot plant is producing ‘representative’ SOP at kg scale for interested partners to conduct analysis and trials.

The company says this stage of the project allows potential customers to assess both the quality and physical characteristics of the product, and to benchmark Vateris SOP directly against material currently available from established suppliers.

The product has a high K2O content (>52%) and very low chloride levels (<0.5%) with a lower carbon footprint and will be offered at a market competitive price. The company says these optimal physical properties make it suitable for NPK fertilizer production and direct use in fertigation. The aim is to provide a more localised supply base for European customers.

As well as a premium water-soluble grade, Vateris will also have a standard powder SOP grade, Nicolas White, Commercial Director for Fertilizers, told New AG International.

Concrete example
The name Vateris refers to the company’s founding activities in the concrete industry. The company takes CO2 gas from industrial flue gas, gypsum (calcium sulphate) and potassium hydroxide (KOH) and transforms them into two products that can be valorised – SOP and GypCarb® (vaterite), which can be used as a ‘property enhancing’ and ‘carbon footprint reducing’ additive for cement and concrete. The company name is a reference to vaterite, the special form of calcium carbonate in GypCarb.

The low-temperature, energy efficient process delivers 1.7 tonnes of potassium sulphate for each tonne of GypCarb produced, and will be co-located at industrial plants at commercial scale.

There are various routes for producing potassium sulphate. The one employed by Vateris does not require sulphuric acid as a raw material, so has the benefit of being disconnected from the global sulphur market.

Timeline
Vateris is currently operating a pilot plant in Nottingham and is looking to construct and begin production in a larger scale ‘demo’ plant in 2027. The demo plant will produce several hundred tonnes per year of high purity soluble SOP for commercial ‘test market’ sales with selected partners.

The company is planning to construct a commercial plant in 2029, probably in mainland Europe, which will produce 50 kT of SOP per year. This is planned to be a bolt-on to an ammonia or cement plant.

Further volume ramp-up will come in 2030-33. There is potential for the technology to be licenced. “We’ll follow the CO2 stream,” says White. He eventually envisages a number of Vateris SOP plants appearing in strategic locations, rather than developing a large, single production site.

“The quality of the product coming from our pilot plant, combined with the positive response from potential customers, reinforces our belief that Vateris can become an important new European source of high-purity SOP,” adds White.

The company already has high-profile backers in the building materials industry, such as Holcim, Goldbeck and Kiilto.