EMMERSON has provided an update on the assessment of a conceptual, phased development plan for its Khemisset Potash Project in Northern Morocco, located 90 km from the capital city, Rabat. Building on a feasibility study, the company has completed a concept study to examine the potential to develop Khemisset using a four-phased approach to reduce upfront capital costs and execution risk, and plan additional expansion stages to ensure that its economic value is fully developed. The intention of the company remains to build the full-scale project as identified in the feasibility study, however, the report, undertaken to scoping study levels, identifies the opportunity to commence with a smaller scale start-up operation producing muriate of potash (MOP), which would be followed by a series of expansion phases to increase the level of MOP produced, and add in the production of de-icing salt in increasing quantities as well as premium potash product, sulfate of potash (SOP). The upfront CAPEX for this strategy, including contingency, is estimated at US$287 million. “2021 continues to be a pivotal year for Emmerson as we move forward in the development of what is to become the first large scale potash mine in Africa,” Emmerson’s CEO Graham Clarke commented.
FLSMIDTH, a Danish multinational engineering company based in Copenhagen, Denmark, has been chosen as the technical partner and the supplier of key equipment for a $32.2 million productivity improvement project at a phosphate beneficiation plant in the Middle East. The project focuses on improving the overall plant production through improved plant availability and throughput. The operation will also achieve an associated reduction in water consumption resulting from a modified desliming circuit, the company said. The agreement includes the engineering and procurement of all equipment associated with the productivity improvement projects, including crushing, material handling and desliming circuits. “Boosting customer productivity is a key objective and this combination of equipment and know-how will enable us to deliver this to the customer,” FLSmidth Mining President Mikko Keto said. “As the full technology and engineering partner, we will not only supply the complete range of process-critical equipment, but we can also support its integration across the project, ensuring maximized productivity improvement.” In addition to engineering and procurement, FLSmidth will provide technical support services and supply all tagged equipment associated with the remedial projects at the site.
ABU DHABI FERTILISER INDUSTRIES (Adfert), a 63:37 joint venture between Abu Dhabi’s International Technical Trading Co (ITTC) and SQM of Chile, will start production of raw materials locally within four months at its new Dh20-million facility. It also plans to open offices in Jordan, Egypt, Iraq and Sudan, a top official said. Adfert will produce raw materials such as mono-ammonium phosphate, urea phosphate, mono-potassium and trace elements locally under its new project Adfert 2000 to eliminate imports, Sami Altawil, Adfert’s Managing Director, said. With the machinery already in place, the production will start by June or July this year. Adfert already produces 60,000 tonnes per annum of water soluble fertilisers and 140,000 tpa of granular compound fertilisers. The company also produces liquid and suspension fertilisers, whereby their production will be boosted by the new facility. About 70% of the production is sold locally, mostly to private farmers and the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, and the remaining 30% is exported mainly to other GCC countries, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Iraq and more recently to Turkey, Greece and Italy.
