Saudi Arabian Mining Company (Ma’aden) announced on Sunday that it has completed the commissioning of utilities for its $900 million ammonia plant in Ras Al-Khair industrial City.  

Construction completion is expected in the fourth quarter 2021, with full operations commencing in the first quarter of 2022, the Saudi mining giant said in a press statement. 

Ma’aden CEO Abdulaziz Al Harbi said: “This is a tremendous milestone for our phosphate portfolio. The ammonia plant expansion will add over one million tonnes ammonia production to reach 3.3 million tonnes, making Ma’aden one of the largest ammonia producers east of the Suez Canal.” 

The ammonia plant is the first project in Ma’aden’s $6.4 billion mine-to-market Phosphate 3 expansion, which will add 3 million tonnes of phosphate fertiliser production capacity to increase installed capacity to more than 9 million tonnes.  

“We have been moving ahead with the construction during the COVID-19 pandemic and thanks to the dedication of the Ma’aden team and our partners, construction has been completed for the utility section and pre-commissioning activities started. Safety has remained a priority for us throughout the project and I am pleased to say that over 4,000 employees invested 14 million+ safe man hours to deliver the construction on the Ammonia 3 project over 32 months,” said Al Harbi. 

The ‘Phosphate 3’ expansion will position the company among the top three global phosphate fertiliser producers and the Kingdom as the world’s second largest phosphate fertiliser exporter, the statement said.  

Ma’aden began commercial production of fertilisers in 2011. Its mine-to-market phosphate business consists of three mega projects in Saudi Arabia: Wa’ad Al Shamal; Ras Al Khair, a phosphate and bauxite processing superhub; and Phosphate 3. In 2019, Ma’aden expanded the reach of its phosphate business in sub-Saharan Africa through the acquisition of fertilizer distribution company Meridian Group. 

In early June, Zawya reported that Ma'aden awarded mining services contract for the Mansoura and Masarrah gold project.  

(Writing by SA Kader; Editing by Anoop Menon) 

(anoop.menon@refinitiv.com) 

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