Sodium Cyanide Expert Building Mexico Business

Q: What was the strategic thinking behind the branding change to mining solutions?

A: The mining solutions division has become a strategic business unit for The Chemours Company and as such we wanted to expand its scope. We went from being a leading sodium cyanide producer to an industry leader with a broader scope to serve the variety of needs in the mining industry. One of our core values is to be a customer-oriented company. We will always ensure we are the safest and most reliable supplier of sodium cyanide but we will also aim to find new solutions for some of the most relevant environmental and safety challenges mining companies face. We focus on distributing sodium cyanide in the safest and most reliable way but we want to add more value for our customers.

Q: What role does Mexico play within your global portfolio?

A: We have more than 90 years’ experience doing business in Mexico. The country is important to us and critical to our growth and long-term success. When it comes to mining solutions, we have been selling sodium cyanide in Mexico for more than 30 years and we are the market leaders in the country. Given the strength of this market, we are in the process of building a new plant in Mexico to meet the growing demand, requiring an investment of around US$150 million. Currently we import everything from our plant in Memphis, Tennessee, so the new Mexican facility will help us improve our customer service in Mexico and in the Latin American region. We are confident the Mexican mining market will continue to grow in the next few years.

The sodium cyanide market in Latin America is unique because demand is higher than the installed capacity so many companies are importing the chemical from Asia. We want to distinguish ourselves by operating and manufacturing locally.

Q: How do you help your clients reduce their environmental footprint and reduce the risks associated with sodium cyanide handling?

A: Our planned sodium cyanide operation in Mexico will generate a lot of energy-related value, mostly in the form of steam. The new plant in Mexico will use the steam and convert it into green energy that could then be distributed to surrounding communities.

Safety is a big issue for sodium cyanide users. We ensure that all our employees and clients are well-trained in how to handle the solution in a safe and responsible manner to reduce the risk of accidents. As the manufacturer, we feel that it is our responsibility to take the lead and contribute to developing safer and more robust standards for transporting and delivering our products to customers. We carry out regular mine audits, which involve sending our staff to the site and monitoring how the delivery trucks are being received, unloaded, cleaned and returned.

Q: How will new trends such as biomining affect the company’s business going forward?

A: If a new method of extracting gold without sodium cyanide were to become technically and economically viable, this would of course have an adverse effect on our business as it is today. We have invested substantial time and resources internally to try and find an alternative to current practices and technology, and mining companies have been making similar efforts as well. So far, all efforts have been unsuccessful simply because sodium cyanide is a unique product and I do not anticipate a drastic change in the short term. Several new companies and young engineers are testing innovative methods and we support those efforts entirely and join them when possible. The reality, though, is that new technologies in this industry take a long time to develop. It will be a long-term project, with a lot of trial and error.