EuroChem Pushes Back Mine Start
EuroChem Group AG is delaying the start of commercial production at its Volgakaliy potash operation in Russia’s southern Volgograd region until 2020, according to an Interfax report citing the group’s primary shareholder Andrei Melnichenko. He said the group has come up against “geological problems” that do not affect the final parameters of the project but do affect the timeframe. As late as last November, EuroChem said it was delaying the start of commercial production at Volgakaliy until the first half of 2019.
Meanwhile, EuroChem has approved a 2019 production target at its Usolskiy potash operation south of Berezniki of about 1 million mt, according to the report. The 2.3 million mt/y design capacity is expected to be reached by end-2020.