Jordan Phosphate Mines Co. (JPMC) is advancing ambitious new projects following record production last year, including a new phosphoric acid plant to be built in cooperation with a Turkish firm, according to JPMC CEO Abdul Wahab Al-Ruwad, as quoted by Jordanian Arabic language daily Al Ghad.
The Jordanian producer in May inked an agreement with Turkish oil trading and logistics company Transpet Petrolcülük ve Enerji AŞ to jointly establish a phosphoric acid plant in the Eshidiya area, where JMPC operates its largest phosphate rock mine (GM May 19, p. 29). Planned capacity is 165,000 mt/y P2O5.No timeframe has been indicated for the project.
Another project highlighted by the CEO will produce 2 million mt/y of aluminum fluoride, which is scheduled to be commissioned at the end of 2024. According to Al-Ruwad, the project is also being developed with a Turkish firm, though he did not disclose the identity of the company nor confirm whether it was Transpet.
Al-Ruwad also revealed that JPMC is considering investing in a project to produce white phosphorus, but the main obstacle to this project is the high energy cost, which he said discourages investors, according to the report.
JPMC produced 11.3 million mt of phosphate rock in 2022, the highest ever output for the company and up 5% from the prior year’s 10.8 million mt (GM Feb. 24, p. 27), according to Chairperson Mohammad Thneibat. Phosphate rock sales volumes were up 10%, to 10.7 million mt.
JPMC reported a 177% increase in net income for the year, to JD733.3 million (around $1.03 billion).