The OCP Group, the Moroccan fertilizer giant, is progressing well with its planned multi-billion-dollar fertilizer plant in Ethiopia.
The company which entered Ethiopia in full force last year has finalized its comprehensive study to establish a 3.7-billion-dollar fertilizer factory in Eastern Ethiopia. This factory will be the biggest in Africa; the plant will be the largest fertilizer plant in comparison to similar OCP fully integrated plant based in Morocco which at moment is producing 12 million tons of fertilizer, annually.
Its process at the factory in Morocco starts from phosphate extracting to the final product which is directly linked with ports at the shores of the Atlantic Ocean.
The fertilizer complex which is to be erected in Dire Dawa, 445 kilometers from Djibouti, will cover the local fertilizer consumption of Ethiopia. In addition, it will also be amongst the biggest suppliers of phosphate fertilizer to the African market.
”The plant will be a major game changer to Ethiopia, by not only transforming Ethiopia into a producer (currently a net importer), but also an exporter to the neighboring countries,” reads the statement issued by OCP.
As part of its investment in Ethiopia, OCP has already formed a partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture & Natural Resources, the Agricultural Transformation Agency and the Gates Foundation for the development of Ethio SIS: soil fertility mapping, as well as to figure out formula for customized fertilizers.
Following the study, OCP has now become a major supplier of fertilizer to Ethiopian market. Last year alone, OCP won a 230-million-dollar contract for the supply of 750,000 metric tons of NPS, NPSB and NPSZnB.
OCP Group has more than 27 percent shares in the global fertilizer business, mainly of phosphate, and generates nearly USD 4.9 billion and employs about 23,000 people across the board.
[www.thereporterethiopia.com]