A 1,500 ton-per-day sulfuric acid plant on the Gulf Coast will be out of production about four weeks while needed repairs are made, Mississippi Phosphates Corporation said announced Friday.

The company operates two of the plants at its phosphate fertilizer facility in Pascagoula. During the down time, the internal components of a boiler in the plant will be replaced.

In July of last year, the boiler tubes and tube sheets in the boiler suffered a major failure,” Mississippi Phosphates said, and the contractor retained to make the repairs “failed to deliver an operationally reliable boiler.”

The company said it has hired another contractor to assemble and install the new internal components in the boiler. It is estimated that the work can be completed within 30 days, with replacement parts already on site.

“Until the idled sulfuric acid plant is returned to service, diammonium phosphate (DAP) production will be limited to approximately 900 tons per day,” the company said.

Mississippi Phosphates sued the first contractor in October 2007 seeking to recover damages caused by delays in making the repairs.

The company produces DAP at its production facility in Pascagoula. The company distributes its fertilizer to both domestic and international markets.

On the Net:

Mississippi Phosphates Corporation: www.missphosphates.com