2.5 billion dirham plant is expected to raise Khouribga site’s production capacity, preserve phosphate resources.
Middle East Online
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| The project is part of the Phosphate Company OCP’s water strategy |
KHOURIBGA, Morocco – King Mohammed VI inaugurated on Wednesday in the rural commune of M’Fassis (Province of Khouribga), the Merah-Lahrach phosphate washing plant, worth 2.5 billion dirhams.
The Monarch visited the various structures and facilities of the project aimed at enriching phosphate and preparing it for transport via a slurry pipeline.
The project is part of the Phosphate Company OCP’s water strategy. 87% of used water is recycled and 70% of annual water need is covered by Khouribga’s wastewater purification station.
It is also part of the OCP’s mines industrial strategy in the Ouled Abdoune basin, which involves a budget of 18 billion dirhams. The strategy provides for opening three new mines with 20 million additional tonnes of phosphate by 2020, which raises mining capacity to 38 million tonnes per year from 18 now, and building three washing plants.
The plant, which has a production capacity of 7.2 million tonnes of ore yearly, is expected to raise the Khouribga site’s production capacity and preserve phosphate resources.
King Mohammed VI visited the Merah-Lahrach station, the main component of the Khouribga -Jorf Lasfar Slurry pipeline project.
The 676-million dirham station, to be built on 11 ha, will link with the Jorf Lasfar terminal.
The Khouribga-Jorf Lasfar Slurry pipeline will be 235 km long, of which 100 km were already installed. It is due for completion in April 2013.
Morocco king gives go-ahead to training, socio-cultural complex in Khouribga
Moroccan King Mohammed VI laid the foundation stone to build a training and socio-cultural activities centre for the inhabitants of Khouribga, whose first phase requires investments of 230 million dirhams.
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| Major projects to boost sports, cultural and economic activities in Khouribga | |
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Details were provided to the monarch on this project that will provide the region’s youth with opportunities to launch different economic activities (start-ups, small and medium-sized enterprises, small and medium-sized industries).
The complex will be built in five levels: a ground floor accommodating commercial and service shops (6,090 square metres), three upper levels including modular offices (15,750 square metres), and a basement with a 193-place parking space.
Along with this project, the Phosphate Company OCP Group carries out outreach activities for the population of the city. They include in particular redevelopment of the square, small squares, alleyways, doors and the mosque of the “Labyout Lakdim” neighbourhood, providing a space for street vendors, and the setting up of a well-being and leisure club for the elderly.
King Mohammed VI received details on the OCP Skills programme which provides, in addition to setting up the complex, for building an educational farm, a business incubator, a multimedia library, a cinema center, an OCP Skills national centre, a sports complex and buildings dedicated to theoretical education (soft skills) and workshops (hard skills).
The various projects, which require 665 million dirhams over four years, are expected to create 1,653 jobs at the exploitation phase.
The OCP Skills programme, which was launched in 2011, is part of the OCP’s strategy in sustainable development and its social responsibility.
It is also meant to be an instrument in combating illiteracy resulting from non-schooling of children in rural areas.
The Sovereign handed bikes and minibuses acquired by OCP for pupils in rural areas and schools of the region.
(MAP)
