Egypt plans to increase the capacity of its new phosphate fertiliser plant by almost fourfold

Egypt has launched a new phosphate fertilizer plant operated by NaTrans Fertilizers in the Ain Sokhna integrated industrial zone within the Suez Canal Economic Zone. The facility is expected to increase domestic processing of phosphate rock and production of finished fertilizers.

Initial investment in the project totaled $10 mln. In the first phase, the plant will have annual capacity of 100 thsd tons of phosphate fertilizers and related chemical products, including powdered and granular single superphosphate.

The company is already planning a major expansion of the facility. Additional investment is estimated at $45 mln, while production capacity is expected to increase nearly fourfold to 375 thsd tons of phosphate fertilizers per year.

The project also includes construction of an in-house sulfuric acid production unit with annual capacity of about 120 thsd tons. This will provide the plant with one of the key inputs required for phosphate processing and reduce its dependence on external supplies.

The expansion is part of Egypt’s strategy to increase domestic processing of its phosphate resources rather than exporting them in raw form. The country produces around 5.3–6 mln tons of phosphate rock annually and aims to increase production of higher-value products for both the domestic and export markets.

Tags: Egypt, fertilizers, phosphate fertilizers