Egypt has started the construction of a $658 million phosphoric acid production complex at the Abu Tartour Plateau in the New Valley Governorate, with annual output expected to reach 250,000 tons in its first phase. Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Karim Badawi and New Valley Governor Hanan Magdy laid the foundation stone for the project on Wednesday.
The complex will process Egyptian phosphate ore into high-concentration commercial phosphoric acid, which is widely used in fertilizer production. The project is part of Egypt’s efforts to expand mineral processing and produce higher-value products from its natural resources.
Chinese companies CSCEC and ECEC will carry out the project, which is scheduled for completion within 30 months. Its production will be directed to export markets through Safaga Port, providing a new source of foreign currency revenues. The complex is expected to create more than 3,000 direct and indirect jobs.
Badawi said the project marks an expansion of Egypt’s phosphate processing industry and follows efforts over the past year to resolve obstacles that had delayed its implementation. He added that the government is working with the New Valley Governorate on a five-year plan for mining and related industries, building on the governorate’s mineral resources.
Badawi also reviewed plans by Egyptian private-sector companies for two additional integrated industrial complexes. Movingfert plans to develop a project at Abu Tartour covering phosphate extraction, ore processing and fertilizer production, while Genesis Mining is planning another complex in Dakhla for phosphate exploration and the production of fertilizers and phosphoric acid.
Badawi and Magdy also inspected phosphate production operations at Abu Tartour. Misr Phosphate Company Chairman Nasser Shaheen said the company has an annual phosphate ore production capacity of seven million tons from its operations at Abu Tartour, El Sebaeya and the Red Sea.
Misr Phosphate owns a 25% stake in the new phosphoric acid complex and is also working with Indorama on a phosphate fertilizer complex in Ain Sokhna with an annual production capacity of 600,000 tons. Press Release regarding POLITICO report on El Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant Project Cabinet approves EIB-funded power grid expansion, UAE wind energy agreements