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Rabat – British mining firm Emmerson PLC has contracted Managem-subsidiary Reminex for engineering work at its Khemisset potash project.
Reminex has 40 years of experience in the Moroccan mining sector and specializes in industrial engineering, research and development (R&D), and project management.
The Emmerson-Reminex contract comes after Emmerson awarded Barr Engineering a basic engineering package for the project’s mineral processing facility in November 2021.
Emmerson expects to launch production at the facility in early 2024.
The latest agreement with Reminex marks the end of the pre-construction phase of the project.
The scope of works includes six packages: water supply solution to mine site; power supply solution to mine site; mine site access including highway junction; mine site infrastructure; portal and access declines and tailings storage facility.
The Emmerson mine under construction has an estimated potential of 537 million tonnes containing 9.24% potassium oxide.
The company plans to invest more than $500 million over the project’s first 19 years and expects to create over 2,000 jobs in Morocco.
Emmerson’s CEO Graham Clarke has stressed that the award of the Reminex contract comes as a result of a “thorough competitive tender process,” emphasizing that the company’s expertise in the mining sector would be critical for adapting the Khemisset Project to “local standards.”
Clarke anticipates 2022 to be “a transformative year” for Emmerson as it enters “the final workstream towards construction” of the Khemisset Potash Project.
“We are expecting to make progress concurrently on drilling activities, Basic Engineering, discussions with other potential equity and lending banks, preparations for EPCM execution and finalization of permitting activities,” he noted.
The CEO also underlined that his company is “looking forward to working closely with Reminex to build long-term benefits for Morocco.”
Emmerson recently received a strategic investment from Singapore’s Global Sustainable Minerals and Gold Quay Capital, which will enable the company to accelerate the construction of the Khemisset plant.
According to a study conducted by Golder Associates, Khemisset, which is 94 km away from Rabat, has the potential to be a world-class potash mine with a low capital cost and high margin.
With Morocco’s position as an emerging regional leader and a gateway to Africa, the potash project will bring substantial social and economic benefits to the region of Khemisset.
Read Also: Emmerson Plc to Invest $46.75 Million in Potash Plant in Northern Morocco
