Eshidiya, Jordan — Jordan India Fertiliser Company (JIFCO) commissioned the world’s largest single stream sulfuric acid plant at Eshidiya in southern Jordan on Oct. 10. The output from the 4,500 mt/d capacity unit will supply an onsite phosphoric acid plant, which produced its first acid in late May 2014 with commercial production beginning Dec. 1, 2014. The phos acid unit has a capacity of 1,500 mt/d P2O5 (about 495,000 mt/y P2O5), and until now has been running on bought-in sulfuric acid. Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Ltd. (IFFCO) and its affiliates own a 52 percent equity stake in JIFCO, which was established in March 2008, and Jordan Phosphate Mines Co. (JPMC) holds the remaining 48 percent. JPMC is supplying up to around 2 million mt/y of phosphate rock to the JIFCO operation as well as the sulfur requirements. The two joint venture parties are buying back all the phos acid produced at the plant. IFFCO said the phos acid supply will "ensure full utilization" of its Kandla and Paradeep plants, and in turn reduce India’s imports of phosphate fertilizers. IFFCO Managing Director U.S. Awasthi said the JIFCO complex is expected to operate at above 80 percent capacity in the first year of full commissioning. Construction began in October 2010 and originally was expected to start operations before the end of 2012, but ran into delays and consequent cost over-runs. Canada’s SNC-Lavalin was awarded the engineering, procurement, and construction management (EPCM) contract to build the grassroots sulfuric and phos acid complex, as well as utilities and a power plant at the site (GM May 24, 2010). Built at a cost of $860 million, the project secured loans from the International Finance Corp. ($215 million) and the European Investment Bank ($120 million). The original project cost had been estimated at $625 million.
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