Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, May 15
By Huseyn Hasanov – Trend:
Turkmenistan ranks fifth in the world for iodine production, the "Neutral Turkmenistan" newspaper reported.
The country produces 500-520 tons of the valuable raw materials annually, according to the report.
It is planned to raise this figure to 1,000 tons through the development of new fields of iodine-containing solutions and the construction of high-tech enterprises, the message says.
For example, installation of equipment at the iodine-producing enterprise with a capacity of up to 150 tons of crystal iodine per year is being completed in the etrap (district) of Bereket of Balkan velayat (region) of Turkmenistan. Specialists of the local enterprise "Khimia-Senagat" plan to put the enterprise into operation this summer.
"The automated technological process will be based on the air-desorption method for producing iodine crystals, which will ensure high quality products and save energy," the newspaper reports.
Iodine at the enterprise will be extracted from groundwater, which will be lifted from the wells drilled in chalk deposits at a depth of 500 meters. "Khimia-Senagat" is completing the construction of another plant on the seaside territory, in Ekerem to extract iodine from the associated waters of oil fields.
The equipment purchased in Iran for processing industrial water has already been installed here, which will allow for producing up to 60 tons of crystals per year at the initial stage.
Khazar chemical plant situated on the shores of the Caspian Sea, specializes in the production of technical iodine of high purity. The company was awarded the Gold Star of Quality by the Business Initiative Directions. Turkmenistan moves beyond the extraction of elemental iodine and is actively expanding its range of high-value-added iodine products.