This follows the announcement that the UK government has approved a grant of £4.9m for the expansion project.
CPL, a UK company owned by ICL Fertilizers, will begin implementing a £38m investment programme designed to increase production capacity and mining of Polyhalite to around 600,000 tonnes per year, compared to its current production level of approximately 130,000 tonnes.
The investment will be made over the coming year, after which ICL will evaluate the potential for a further expansion of the project.
CPL is the only company mining Polyhalite, and from 2010 ICL Fertilizers began to market Polysulphate as a new fertiliser into agricultural markets.
Geological studies conducted by ICL Fertilizers indicate that there are deposits amounting to more than a billion tonnes of Polyhalite under the company’s Potash mine at Boulby. The Boulby Mine, owned by ICL, is the only Potash producer in the UK and has been mining in the northeast of England since 1969.
Polyhalite is a unique mineral. It is a complex salt comprising sulphur, potassium, magnesium and calcium, all essential nutrients for crop production. Polysulphate has the additional benefit of being low in Chlorides and can be used as a specialty fertiliser suitable for fertilising crops and agricultural land that are sensitive to chlorine. As a natural product, Polysulphate is certified and approved for use in organic farming systems.
Source: ICL
© FoodBev Media Ltd 2024