Spanish firm replaces mercury-cell process

To comply with European legislation, the Spanish basic chemicals producer Ercros will close its mercury-cell chlor-alkali plants, which have a combined annual capacity of 213,000 metric tons, by the end of 2017. It will replace the capacity with a 45,000-metric-ton plant based on membrane technology. The firm says the membrane-based plant will cost $60 million and open in 2018. Ercros says it does not plan to replace all of the mercury capacity because its biggest customer, Covestro, plans to close its Spanish isocyanate plant, which consumes chlor-alkali.