Saudi Arabian Mining Co (Ma’aden), Riyadh, has signed deals with Antwerp-based Exmar Marine NV and Athens-based Thenamaris LNG Inc. to hire a total of four vessels to transport ammonia for the company, the Saudi Gazette reported on Sept. 29. The signing of the agreements took place during the annual International Fertilizer Association conference in Lisbon, Portugal, on Sept. 27-29.
Both agreements are due to take effect in the first quarter of 2022. The additional vessels will expand Ma’aden’s ammonia maritime fleet to seven vessels, and take annual ammonia shipping capacity to 2 million mt, according to the news report. Ma’aden started ammonia exports with just one ship back in 2016.
Ma’aden is scheduled to start production at its third ammonia plant at Ras Al-Khair Industrial City on Saudi Arabia’s East Coast in the first quarter of next year (GM Aug. 13, p. 30), a schedule that the company said remains on track
The 1.1 million mt/y “Ammonia-3” plant is the first unit under construction as part of Ma’aden’s ambitious plans for a third large-scale “Phosphate 3” phosphate complex. However, ammonia from Ammonia-3 looks likely to be sold initially on the market. In February, local media, citing Ma’aden, reported output from the new plant would add 1.1 million mt to the Saudi producer’s sales (GM Feb. 12, p. 37).