Brazil Potash completes Autazes FEED

FEED awards and path to financing

The new FEED award follows the earlier award of the Surface Facilities and Infrastructure FEED to Wood and Promon Engenharia, giving Autazes unified engineering coverage across underground and surface works.

Brazil Potash said completing both FEED programmes is a key requirement for construction debt financing discussions now under way with development finance institutions and export credit agencies, as the studies convert conceptual and pre feasibility work into detailed engineering for lender due diligence, bankability and long lead procurement.

Mine shafts as critical path

Redpath, engaged under the WSP contract as subconsultant for the mine shafts scope, has worked on more than 500 shafts worldwide, including major recent potash projects such as Jansen, Woodsmith, Rocanville, K3 and Nezhinsky, using ground freezing, grouting and both mechanised and conventional methods.

Brazil Potash emphasised that the two Autazes mine shafts sit on the project’s critical path, defining the overall construction schedule and underpinning subsequent infrastructure including the processing plant, tailings, logistics and underground development.

WSP UK and WSP Brasil roles

Under the contract, WSP UK provides the engineering backbone of the FEED, covering geomechanical analysis, freeze modelling, shaft liner design and structural assessments, while WSP Brasil supports regulatory compliance and local execution.

The integrated WSP–Redpath team is intended to give lenders confidence that the Autazes FEED meets international best practice and Brazilian regulatory requirements ahead of financing.

Contract value and early works

The total FEED contract is estimated at $ 26 million, subject to approval of later phases.

At present only the first 12 month Early Works phase has been awarded, valued at $ 4.3 million and covering geotechnical investigation, freeze modelling, basis of design development, and the regulatory and engineering foundations needed to advance to full FEED execution.

Targeting Brazil’s potash import dependence

Brazil Potash is developing Autazes to supply fertilizers into Brazil’s domestic market, where the company says Brazil imported more than 95% of its potash fertilizer needs in 2021.

In its latest investor presentation, the company also said Brazil accounts for around 22% of global potash import demand and remains about 98% reliant on imported supply, underlining the strategic case it is making for an in country project.

As outlined in its Q2 2026 presentation to analysts, Brazil Potash is also pitching Autazes on logistics, arguing that a domestic mine and barge supply chain could sharply cut delivery times to key farm regions compared with imported product (see below).

With initial planned output of up to 2.4 million t/y, management believes Autazes could supply about 20% of current Brazilian potash demand, with all production sold domestically to cut import reliance and an associated emissions reduction target of around 1.4 million t/y of greenhouse gas emissions.