OCR Text |
Show WATER FOR UTAH prudent to provide for some reserve capacity in Utah's potential hydroelectric power plants for aluminum production. Under ordinary circumstances, it is doubtful that Utah can count on the establishment of such facilities. In contrast to its resources of aluminum, raw- material- wise Utah has an abundance of magnesium- bearing resources. Its magnesium salts - primarily magnesium chlorides - are ample in the brines of Great Salt Lake, in the Salduro Marsh and in its carnallites in southeastern Utah. On the other hand the processing of these magnesium salts into metallic magnesium requires just as large quantities of electric power as does aluminum reduction, with the same qualifications as to extremely low cost per unit. A minimum- sized plant would require about 120,000,000 kilowatt- hours per year for the production of 12,000,000 pounds of the metal. The potentials for a Utah plant, at least for the next few years, are not considered brilliant. Aside from actual economic plant location considerations, the magnesium production capacity now in existence in the United States is greatly in excess of consumption requirements. This situation is not likely to continue for many years, but it will take considerable time for a change. There is no question as to the future potentials of the metal, but its development is not yet to be considered one for Utah unless the highest strategic considerations overbalance normal economics of production. For magnesium, then, as for aluminum, prudence would seem to suggest some reserve capacity in Utah's future hydroelectric power developments for the production of metallic magnesium. i [ 63] |