The Saudi Arabian Mining Company, Maaden, has completed the pre-operational operations of its $900 million ammonia plant facilities in Ras Al-Khair Industrial City, and construction work is expected to be completed in the last quarter of 2021 with full operation in the first quarter of 2022.

The ammonia plant is the first project in the expansion of "Phosphate 3" in Ma'aden's phosphate fertilizer portfolio, which includes the complete development of phosphate fertilizers from the mine to the market, with a total value of $6.4 billion.

Maaden's chief executive officer, Eng. Abdel Aziz Al-Harbi, explained that the plant's expansion will raise the production capacity of ammonia by more than one million tons, to reach 3.3 million tons, making Maaden one of the largest producers of ammonia in the east of the Suez Canal.

And he indicated that the expansion of "Phosphate 3" will raise the production capacity of phosphate fertilizers by about 3 million tons, bringing Ma'aden to a total production capacity of more than 9 million tons. This increase in production will contribute to strengthening Maaden's position as one of the three largest producers of phosphate fertilizers globally, and empowering the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia to become the second largest exporter of phosphate fertilizers in the world.

Al-Harbi stressed that Maaden is keen to continue construction work during the Corona pandemic, and the dedication of the Maaden team and its partners was fruitful in completing the construction process of the facilities, as it started pre-operational activities and safety remained a priority for it throughout the project implementation period, adding that more than 4,000 employees registered Over 14 million hours worked safely to hand over construction work on the Ammonia 3 project over the past 32 months.

Maaden began commercial production of fertilizers in 2011, becoming among the three largest producers of phosphate fertilizers in the world, meeting the needs of the largest fertilizer markets and meeting the nutritional requirements of hundreds of millions of people. Maaden is committed to empowering farmers by providing high-quality products that improve The quality of crops and achieving rewarding returns, in addition to increasing the Kingdom's contributions to achieving global food security in line with the sustainable development goals of the United Nations.

Maaden's business model, which is based on providing integrated services "from the mine to the market", consists of three large phosphate projects in the Kingdom, namely Waad Al-Shamal, which is the center of the Saudi phosphate industry, and Ras Al-Khair, a huge industrial complex for processing phosphate and bauxite; and Phosphate 3. In 2019, Maaden expanded its phosphate business in sub-Saharan Africa with the acquisition of fertilizer distributor Meridian Group, allowing the company to provide faster and better service to local customers in Africa.

In line with Maaden's commitment to sustainability, the company derives the industrial water needed for phosphate production in Ras Al-Khair Industrial City entirely from one of the largest desalination plants in the world, using a naturally designed wastewater treatment system, and 60-80% is reused. Of the water treated as water for industrial processes and the rest for irrigation of local landscapes.

The “industrial wetland” method resulting from the naturally designed wastewater treatment system has proven to be a natural, sustainable and effective method of wastewater treatment at both the domestic and industrial levels, and as an added advantage, it has become an important habitat for wildlife, especially shorebirds, in line with the Kingdom’s commitment Saudi Arabia to combat climate change within the framework of the Green Saudi Initiative.