OCP Group expects ammonia plant in Nigeria to begin production in late 2023

The plant will be built in southeast Nigeria where gas suppliers have been identified, Mohammed Hettiti, head of OCP Nigeria, told Reuters on the sidelines of a conference in Rabat, without giving details.

The factory is part of OCP’s push to step up investment in phosphates-based fertilizers in Africa. It has plans for other plants in Ethiopia and Ghana.

The factory, with annual production capacity of 750 000 t of ammonia and 1 million t of fertilizers, would export ammonia to Morocco’s plant in Jorf Lasfar, while Morocco would supply phosphoric acid to make fertilizer, he said.

OCP, which already supplies more than 90% of Nigerian fertilizer demand, signed a protocol agreement in June 2018 to build the plant with Nigeria’s Sovereign Investment Authority.

Hettiti said OCP aimed to boost fertiliser supply to Nigeria to 3 million t from 1 million t in the next five years.

The phosphate company, which is 95% state-owned, has also started building three blenders worth US$40 million to supply customised fertilisers to Nigeria. “They are expected to be operational next year,” he said.

OCP, which has 12 subsidiaries in Africa, reported a 17% rise in half-year net profit to 1.79 billion dirhams (US$185 million) from the same period last year, as higher prices and demand for phosphoric acid helped offset lower prices for fertilisers and phosphate rock.

Read the article online at: https://www.worldfertilizer.com/project-news/15112019/ocp-group-expects-ammonia-plant-in-nigeria-to-begin-production-in-late-2023/