Potash potential: EuroChem enters the competition

• Autores: Kasia Patel
• Localización: Industrial Minerals, ISSN 0019-8544, Nº. 548, 2013
• Idioma: inglés
• Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
• Resumen

  • In terms of potash capacity, the expansion will position EuroChem as the fifth largest producer globally, behind PotashCorp. (8m tpa), Uralkali (6.9m tpa), Mosaic (6.2m tpa) and Belaruskali (5.5m tpa). According to EuroChem, the current potash market stands at around 55-56m tpa and is set to grow over coming years, a sentiment shared by most producers. With plans to target the expanding markets of China, Brazil and India, production from EuroChem's deposits is expected for 2017. And, with site costs at $57/tonne, EuroChem stands a good chance of filling at least part of the expected additional capacity which will be needed to meet growing demand.

    EuroChem currently uses 350,000 tpa potash, which is mainly bought from Uralkali and K+S and processed in Antwerp and Russia by EuroChem's Western European and Russian operations. Expanding its facilities in Russia to produce an additional 4.6m tpa potash will allow EuroChem to become fully integrated and will give it the opportunity to produce complex fertilisers.

    "The contract was officially terminated in April 2012, causing delays as we now have to take down all the existing equipment," Olivier Harvey, EuroChem's head of investor relations, told IM. "It has caused a two-year delay. Production is now expected in 2017, instead of 2015. We think we have an extremely strong case," he added.