EuroChem Group AG, Berezniki, on March 13 announced the successful test production of potassium chloride at EuroChem-Usolskiy Potash in the Perm region, Russia. EuroChem says this initial production is an integral part of the commissioning process currently underway at Usolskiy. Production of first marketable product is expected during the second quarter of 2018, as previously reported.
Once fully operational, Usolskiy’s Phase 1 will have a total annual production capacity of 2.3 million mt of MOP.
“The test production of MOP means we have come closer to the start of regular production at Usolskiy, which has been a substantial and complex greenfield project,” said EuroChem CEO Dmitry Strezhnev. “We are now focused on completing commissioning and ramping up to commercial production, targeting about 450,000 mt of finished product before the end of the year.”
EuroChem also holds a licence to develop the Gremyachinskoe deposit in the Volgograd region of Russia, known as the VolgaKaliy potash project. Development at VolgaKaliy continues and first production of marketable product is expected later this year. To date, EuroChem has invested about $4.13 billion in the two projects, of which Usolskiy has accounted for $1.81 billion.