STROC project for the OCP
OCP Youssoufia extracts and processes phosphate from the Gantour deposit. It extends 125 km from east to west and 20 km from north to south. Its reserves are estimated at 31 million m³, which represents 35% of the country’s recognised reserves. The phosphate in the region is transported by rail to Safi to supply fertiliser and phosphoric acid plants. A fraction of the production is exported via the Safi, Jorf Lasfar and Casablanca mineral ports. The potential for production in the entire region is 7 million tonnes of mineral per year.
The Youssoufia employs 1,731 people, of whom 60 are engineers and 499 are supervisors. The Youssoufia area forms the western part of the Gantour Basin and the deposit is operated by the Youssoufia centre including the Mzinda and Bouchane areas with open-air mining extraction. The deliveries to the improvement facilities and export ports are made on 60-wagon trains with a 3,800 tonne capacity.
The end customer, OCP, with which ULMA Conveyor Components has a roller replacement contract, is the main global phosphate producer. OCP has embarked on an ambitious project to double its extraction capacity and triple its processing capacity by 2020. To achieve this it has an investment plan approved for 115 billion Moroccan dirham (around 1 billion euros).
The plan includes the creation of three new mines in Khouribga. One of the keys is in the new “pipeline” that unites Khouribga with the treatment plant in Jorf Las Far. Up until now the phosphate has been transported by rail. This method reduces transport cost from 8 USD per tonne to 1 USD per tonne.
