Egypt has laid the foundation stone for the first industrial complex to produce phosphoric acid from locally mined phosphate rock in the Abu Tartour Plateau in New Valley in a ceremony attended by Karim Badawi, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources.
With $658 million in investments, the project will produce 250,000 tons per year (t/y) of high-concentration commercial-grade phosphoric acid in its first phase. Phosphoric acid is a key raw material used in fertilizer production.
During the ceremony, Badawi described the complex as one of the key industrial projects aimed at maximizing the value of Egyptian phosphate rock. The project reflects the government’s strategy to move from exporting or using raw minerals in their primary form toward establishing downstream industries that produce higher-value products, support exports, and generate foreign currency, he noted.
He said the project represents a success story after the ministry managed over the past year to overcome obstacles that had delayed its implementation for several years. This was achieved through coordination among the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources (MoPMR), the Mineral Resources and Mining Industries Authority (MRMIA), and the project’s shareholders.
The minister also highlighted the importance of mining industries to the development of New Valley Governorate, which has significant mineral resources. He said the ministry is working with the governorate to develop a joint vision for a five-year map of mining activities and related industries.
China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC) and East China Engineering Science and Technology Co. (ECEC) are implementing the project using advanced technologies. Construction is expected to be completed within 30 months, with production planned for export through Safaga Port to generate foreign currency. The project is also expected to create more than 3,000 direct and indirect jobs.
In the same context, Badawi and New Valley Governor Hanan Magdy, also inspected phosphate rock production operations at the Abu Tartour Plateau mines operated by Phosphate Misr, including Crusher No. 8, where they met with production workers.
Misr Phosphate is Egypt’s largest phosphate rock producer, with annual production capacity of 7 million tons (mmt/y) from its operations in Abu Tartour, El Sebaiya, and the Red Sea.
The company is implementing two major projects to increase the added value of phosphate resources. The first is the the Abu Tartour phosphoric acid complex, in which Phosphate Misr holds a 25% stake, and a phosphate fertilizer complex in Ain Sokhna being developed in partnership with Indorama, with an annual production capacity of 600,000 tons (t/y).
During his visit to the project site, Badawi reviewed plans presented by Egyptian private-sector mining companies MOVINGFERT and Genesis Mining to establish two integrated industrial complexes over the medium term. The complexes would combine phosphate extraction with downstream processing to produce higher-value products.
Sherif Zeid, Chairman and CEO of MOVINGFERT, presented the company’s plan to establish an industrial complex in Abu Tartour. The project would include phosphate extraction, ore upgrading and concentration, fertilizer production, and the recovery of rare earth elements.
Genesis Mining also presented plans for an integrated industrial complex in the Dakhla area. The proposed complex would cover phosphate exploration, fertilizer production, phosphoric acid, and several other higher-value products.
The projects reflect growing private-sector interest in Egypt’s mining industries and a shift from extracting raw materials toward developing integrated production chains that generate greater economic value, said MoPMR.
