K-UTEC stands short for K-UTEC AG Salt Technologies, situated in Sondershausen. The company emerged from Kali-Umwelttechnik GmbH in 2008.

As a private company we are the successor of the former central German potash industry`s “Kaliforschungsinstitut” (potash research institute).
Our activities are nowadays much more widespread than potash mining and processing of potash raw materials.

Due to the company`s history K-UTEC`s home is still in Sondershausen, the centre of the central German potash industry. The company is a vital part of the northern Thuringian economy.

With its work K-UTEC AG Salt Technologies continues to be an economical focus point that has been growing and has turned into a tradition in the town of Sondershausen.

After the first potash seam in the southern Harz area was reached and developed, hoisting of the salt started through Brügmann shaft in 1895 with close by processing. A further ten shafts were developed until 1913 in the area surrounding the town of Sondershausen.

Potash mining became a deciding economical factor for the region. At the same time as the potash works “Glückauf” developed in Sonderhausen the scientific and technological centre of the East German potash industry was created in 1955 by the founding of the “Zentrale Forschungsstelle für die Kaliindustrie” (central research facility for the potash industry). The “Kaliforschungsinstitut” (potash research institute) evolved from this facility in 1964. It was later integrated as a directorate in the administration of the “Kombinat KALI”, which established itself as a headquarter of the entire East German potash industry in 1970 in Sondershausen. Decades of applied research, processing development, exploration of deposits and raw material investigation lead to an extensive accumulation of knowledge and experience.

In Febuary 1992 Kali-Umwelttechnik GmbH emerged from the former Kaliforschungsinstitut as the only newly established corporation. The founding of this engineering and research company provided the possibility to conserve and to develop the gathered knowledge and experience even further to fulfil the needs of the changing world of business. From a traditional background new focuses and fields of activity arose, e.g.

the experience in mining lead to a stronger concentration on reclamation, post mining care, redevelopment and back fill technology,
the implementation of experiences with different types of exploration on tasks in non saliniferous deposits, in construction engineering and in former waste deposits,
the increasing attention on environmental tasks exceeding purely mining related subjects like data collection, monitoring, redevelopment and reclamation of abandoned mining sites,
the use and further development of physico-chemical processes also beyond the potash production,
the set up of analytical methods fitting the current task profile, the creation of a modern laboratory incorporating environmental technology.

Besides the ever developing new experiences constant attention is paid on the care and growth of expert knowledge in the traditional raw material field of the potash and salt industry, which was also expressed in the new company name K-UTEC Salt Technologies from 2008. In the course of this development the team of specialists was constantly strengthened by the incorporation of young work force. The number of employees rose to over 80.

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