Saudi Arabian Mining Co. expects its majority owned Ma’aden Wa’ad Al Shamal Phosphate Co. (MWSPC) facilities to reach 85 percent of capacity by the end of this year, up from the current 70 percent, and hit its full capacity of 3 million mt/y of fertilizer by the first quarter of 2022, according to Saudi Arabian financial news portal Argaam, citing Ma’aden CEO Mosaed Al-Ohali in a Reuters report.
Al-Ohali told analysts at a company earnings call last month that MWSPC is currently operating at around 60 to 70 percent of capacity, and said remediation work continues at the facilities (GM Feb. 12, p. 37). The CEO confirmed the technical issues at the operations are not in one specific location.
He said the company expected to see most of the increased capacity benefits coming in 2021 and next year, and expected MWSPC to be exceeding its 3 million mt/y phosphate fertilizer design capacity by 2025.
MWSPC commenced “commercial” production of DAP in December 2018. The Mosaic Co. and SABIC own 25 and 15 percent stakes, respectively, in the company.