Economic Evaluation of Potassium Carbonate Production to Support Fertilizer Production in Indonesia
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33096/jcpe.v10i2.1776Keywords:
economic evaluation, potassium carbonate, plant designAbstract
Potassium carbonate is one of the chemicals that is widely used in the glass and fertilizer industries. Potassium carbonate was also used as a catalyst, a carbon capture, and a chemical activation agent. This study will examine the preliminary design and economic evaluation of a potassium carbonate plant using potassium hydroxide and carbon dioxide as raw materials to support the fertilizer industry in Indonesia. Banten Province was chosen as the location of the potassium carbonate plant considering its proximity to raw materials, ease of transportation and utilities, and proximity to the marketing target, which is the fertilizer factory. The hydroxide method was chosen as the process technology used in potassium carbonate production because of its simpler process and high conversion. The production of potassium carbonate using potassium hydroxide and carbon dioxide as raw materials was carried out using a bubble reactor at 100 oC and 0.43 atm. The results of the economic evaluation from Total Capital Investment (TCI) and Total Production Cost (TPC) calculation showed 41.10% Return on Investment (ROI), 1.87 years Payback Period (PBP), US$15,561,960, Net Present Value (NPV), and 42.58% Internal Rate of Return (IRR). The sensitivity analysis of the price parameters of potassium carbonate products at a deviation of 10% showed the largest NPV value of US$26,277,395 with a PBP of 1.27 years.
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