Tag: Phosphoric Acid

Daewoo Engineering & Construction has signed a $700 million framework agreement to build a fertilizer plant in Turkmenistan. The agreement was signed in Seoul with Turkmenistan's state-owned chemical firm, Turkmenhimiya, according to the Turkmen Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, noting the Korean firm was named the preferred bidder for the project in October. The project aims to construct a fertilizer plant that will extract phosphoric acid from phosphate rocks and process the substance into 300,000 t/a of annually in eastern Turkmenistan by 2029.

Verdant Minerals says it has been granted two key productive mineral leases for its Ammaroo Phosphate Project by the Northern Territory government. The company says that this significant milestone advances one of the world's largest undeveloped phosphate resources, located about 220km southeast of Tennant Creek. Acting Chief Minister and Minister for Mining and Energy, Gerard Maley, stated, “This is a significant milestone in progressing a world-class resource project that will support jobs, drive investment, and strengthen the NT’s position as a leader in resource development.”

Chinese phosphate and battery chemical producer Chuan Jin Nuo Chemical (KMCJNC) has announced a $265 million plan to build a plant in Egypt to reduce its raw material and export costs. The company will construct facilities in the North African country to produce a range of intermediates and finished products, it revealed in its recent first-quarter earnings report. The plant will have a threeyear construction timeline. Planned capacities for the site are 800,000 t/a of sulfuric acid and 300,000 t/a of ammonium phosphate per year. Other core products will include phosphoric acid and sodium fluorosilicate. At full capacity, the plant is expected to generate over $41 million in net profit, according to feasibility studies.

I am writing this freshly returned from the Sulphur Institute’s annual Sulphur World Symposium in Florence (for more on that see pages 24-25), where one of the topics causing some excitement was the anticipated commissioning of a demonstration plant for Travertine Technologies’ new Travertine Process. The plant is due to be commissioned at the Sabin Metals site near Rochester, New York in mid-2025 at a cost of $10.7 million. Capacity is put at “hundreds” of tonnes per year of gypsum processed, and removing “tens” of tonnes per year of CO 2 from the atmosphere.

The Tunisian cabinet has met to review its future programme for phosphate production, transport, and processing for the 2025-2030 period, as well as the current situation of the Tunisian Chemical Group and its work plan for the same period, according to a government statement. The prime minister stressed the need to develop phosphate production as a national resource and a cornerstone of the national economy that must regain its role and position in supporting state revenues and wealth creation, including increasing production capacity, processing, and exports, while investing in modern technology to enhance productivity, exploring new export markets, and prioritising environmental considerations.

Avenira has secured an A$7.56 million strategic investment from majority shareholder Hebang Biotechnology to progress its Wonarah phosphate project in Northern Territory. The investment, in which Hebang will acquire 1.08 billion shares priced at A$0.007 each, will boost its equity holding in Avenira to 49%. Hebang has also agreed to provide Avenira with an unsecured drawdown loan facility to be repaid on completion of the placement or after the date of the first drawdown.

Paradeep Phosphates Ltd (PPL) says that it has signed a memorandum of understanding with the government of Odisha state to invest $440 million over five years to increase its phosphate fertilizer production and export capacity, including port/ jetty and infrastructure development. PPL currently has capacity to produce 400,000 t/a of urea and 2.6 million t/a of finished phosphates, via DAP and NPK plants in Paradeep, Odisha, and Zuarinagar, Goa. Details of the expansion were not announced, but the company previously said in December 2024 that it had agreed to expand phosphoric acid capacity from 500,000 t/a to 700,000 t/a to increase backwards integration of production and reduce dependence on imports.

Jordan’s Prime Minister Jaafar Hassan laid the foundation stone for the second phase of Jordan Phosphate Mines (JPMC) new sulphuric and phosphoric acid plants at Al-Shidiya in a ceremony in mid-February. The Phase II expansion aims to increase the sulphuric acid plant's production capacity from 2,200 t/d to 4,450 t/d (1.5 million t/a). The phase will generate an additional 20 MW of energy per hour, with the potential to export 9 MW. The project will also boost the production capacity of the phosphoric acid plant from 900 t/d to 1,600 t/d (equivalent to 550,000 t/a P2 O5 ). Construction is expected to be completed, and operations begun by September of this year. With the expansion of the industrial complex in Aqaba and future projects involving potash and partnerships in the phosphoric acid industry, JPMC plans to increase its local consumption to 70%, while reducing external exports by 30%.

Sulphur’s key role as a plant nutrient means that its use as a fertilizer continues to be a major area of demand.

Chemical Industries of Senegal (ICS) has launched two projects to increase phosphate fertilizer production in the country. At a company event, new managing director Mama Sougoufara said that between 2014 and 2023, ICS has expanded production to 2 million t/a of phosphate rock, 600,000 t/a of phosphoric acid, and 250,000 t/a of phosphate fertilizer. The new expansions, with a price tag put at $475 million, include a plant at Mbao to increase fertilizer output from 250,000 t/a to 600,000 t/a, as well as a new phosphate rock processing plant, increasing output by 300,000 t/a. The company has seen its financial situation improve in recent years thanks to its takeover by the Indorama Group, though the Senegalese government retains a 15% stake.