Rabat – HM King Mohammed VI inaugurated on Thursday the new plant «Bunge Maroc Phosphore» to produce phosphoric acid and phosphate fertilizers in the industrial platform of Jorf Lasfar, completed for a total cost of 2.7 billion dirhams.
– HM the King enquires about structuring projects launched in Jorf Lasfar, for a total cost of 40 billion dirhams.
– The Sovereign learns about the Economic Interest Grouping in Jorf Lasfar.
– HM the King visits the Jorf Lasfar industrial platform.
– The Monarch lays foundation stone for a sea water desalination plant, worth 720 million dirhams.
– The Sovereign decorates with Royal Wissams representatives of foreign partners as well as OCP’s executives and employees.
The new plant is established in partnership between Morocco’s state-run group, Office Chérifien des Phosphates (OCP) and Brazil’s leading international fertilizers distributers, Bunge Fertilizantes.
The new project will help produce 375,000 tonnes of phosphoric acid and 610,000 tonnes of fertilizers annually.
The plant will cover 70% of Bunge Fertilizantes imports, which will be distributed in Latin American markets.
The new plant, which will spawn 340 direct jobs, is part of OCP’s long-term strategy to reinforce its trade ties with clients and international partners, and enhance the added value of its products.
The project is also intended to give a fresh impetus to the national economy.
The Monarch was also briefed on large scale projects launched in the platform of Jorf Lasfar for an estimated total cost at 40 billion dirhams.
In this respect, HM the King was provided with details about a 2.1 billion dirham plan to extend a fertilizers plant, a 10 billion dirham project to develop storage and utility units, a 22 billion dirham project to set up four new factories for the production of acid fertilizers, a 2.7 billion dirham seawater desalination plant and a 3.3 billion dirhams extension of port infrastructure.
On this occasion, the Monarch was briefed on the Jorf Lasfar’s Economic Interest Grouping, which brings together the province of El Jadida along with five other operators notably the OCP, the National Ports Agency, Jorf Lasfar Energy Company and the National Steel Industry Company.
The Grouping aims at improving economic activity linked to the Jorf Lasfar’s industrial platform, protect the environment and preserve security and to promote a development that benefits the region.
Afterwards, the Monarch visited the Jorf Lasfar industrial platform to oversee the already operating and the underway phosphoric acid and fertilizers units.
The platform also houses, inter alia, a pipeline terminal station which comprises 10 tanks of a storing capacity of 5,500 cubic meters each.
The 240-km long pipeline, worth 4.5 billion dirhams, will be completed in 2013 by Turkish group, Tekfen, and will help create 110 direct jobs.
The Monarch also laid the foundation stone for the construction of a sea water desalination plant, to be completed for 720 million dirhams.
With an annual treatment capacity of 25 million cubic meters, the new facility will cover the water needs of the Jorf Lasfar platform.
The new facility, to be ready by 2013, is designed to cover the water needs of the Jorf Lasfar platform and will have an annual treatment capacity of 25 million cubic meters.
As part of the OCP’s strategy to preserve water resources, Sidi Masaoud dam will be built for a total cost of 1.1 billion dirhams as well as a sewage water treatment plant in Khouribga (226 million dirhalms).
On the same occasion, HM King Mohammed VI decorated representatives of foreign partners and executives and employees of OCP with Royal Wissams.
In this regard, HM the King decorated with the Alaouite Wissam with the rank of Officer the Chairwoman of Toros Administrative Board Meté Esin, President & CEO of the Tekfen Group Erhan Öner, Former Vice-President of Bunge Fertilizantes Olavio Massao Takenaka.
The Monarch awarded the Wissam of national merit with the rank of Officer CEO of the industrial Pole of OCP group Amar Drissi, Director of the Financial pole of the OCP group Mohamed El Hajjouji, Industrial Development Director El Moutawakil El Baraka, Sales director for Central and Latin America and Africa at the OCP Rachid Rtal Bennani, and Head of the social affairs service at the OCP Bouchra Aâmrou.
HM the King also decorated OCP workers Abdelkader Hossini and Mohamed Traibi and employees Rachid Soufiane and Ahmed Zouhir with Wissams with the rank of Knight.