Australian mining company Minbos has announced a non-binding memorandum of understanding (MoU) with South Africa-based Foskor for a potential supply agreement from its Angola mine, according to a July 1 statement.
Under the MoU, Minbos will provide samples to evaluate the possibility of using phosphate rock from its Cabinda project in Angola at Foskor’s phosphate fertilizer plants in Richards Bay, South Africa.
“The company has been engaged with Foskor for some months as the two companies discussed how a possible collaboration would work,” said Lindsay Reed, Managing Director of Minbos. “The combination of an earlier-than-anticipated completion of the new deep-water port at Caio and the ability of the company to build in the Stage-2 expansion as part of the initial construction has allowed both companies to progress their discussions.”
The Cabinda phosphate project, comprising the Cácata phosphate deposit and the Futila fertilizer plant, will operate for 20 years, producing 236,000 mt/y of fertilizer over 20 years, based on a maiden reserve of 4.72 million mt at 30.1% concentration at the Cácata mine.
Construction of the Stage-1 quay at Porto do Caio remains on track to be completed in December 2025, potentially enabling exports of rock from Cabinda in 2026.
Foskor is a South African-based company that owns and operates a phosphoric acid-based fertilizer plant located in Richards Bay, South Africa.