Fertilizer industry in Jordan, present and future
Plants need three main elements to grow: nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, as well as other secondary elements such as sulfur, magnesium, and zinc. These elements are available in the soil and are absorbed by plants in the form of water-soluble compounds.
Due to the increasing demand for agricultural crops due to population growth on the earth and the limited areas suitable for cultivation, the need to use soil fertilizers, i.e. fertilizers, is increasing. The chemical fertilizer industry has witnessed rapid development since the late nineteenth century, characterized by the innovation of technological methods for manufacturing ammonia (ammonia) as a source of nitrogen, sulfuric acid, phosphoric acid, nitric acid, and other materials used in the manufacture of fertilizers.
Means of extracting raw materials containing phosphate, potash, sulfur, oil, and gas have also witnessed remarkable development during the same period.
Today, the world extracts, for example, about 215 million tons of phosphate ore, about 78 million tons of sulfur, and 60 million tons of potash annually.
It produces about 175 million tons of ammonia, 43 million tons of urea, 47 million tons of phosphoric acid, and 70 million tons of phosphate fertilizers annually, in addition to millions of tons of compound fertilizers and organic fertilizers.
The production of these materials increases every year by a rate ranging from 6-3% to meet the growing need for fertilizers and agricultural crops to provide food for the world's population, which is expected to reach 9 billion people by 2050.
Phosphate and potash are among the most important natural resources in the Kingdom In Jordan, phosphate ores were discovered at the beginning of the twentieth century and began to be extracted in the late thirties in limited quantities. The pace has increased since the establishment of the Jordan Phosphate Mines Company in 1953, with production today reaching about 9 million tons annually.
As for potash, which is extracted from Dead Sea salts, the Arab Potash Company was established in 1956 and began production in its factories in 1983, with its production reaching about 2.5 million tons of potassium chloride annually.
These two raw materials have been the basic raw materials for developing the fertilizer and its derivatives industry in Jordan.
We are pleased to present to you today a summary of what this industry has achieved and its future development prospects, as the extraction of phosphate and potash and the industry based on them represent one of the most important pillars of the national economy in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.
The most important natural resources in the Kingdom
Extractive industries, phosphate and potash, Jordan's petroleum, are export industries and the added value in them is very high, and they represent the first local raw materials in a country that lacks natural resources, including oil and water, and are considered an important source of earning foreign currencies that support the Kingdom's balance of payments
Using phosphate
Phosphate contains phosphorus compounds that are used to produce fertilizer (about 87%) and most of the extracted phosphate goes to the fertilizer industry to increase agricultural crops in addition to the possibility of extracting some rare minerals and radioactive elements, 13% of phosphate rocks are used in various industries and many chemical industries, the most important of which are: preparing phosphorus and phosphoric acid used in mining, military, medical, food, ceramic, textile and matchstick industries.
Chronology of the discovery of phosphate in the Kingdom
Since the discovery of phosphate in the Kingdom at the beginning of the last century, the extraction of this material has developed rapidly and systematically, especially after the establishment of the Jordan Phosphate Mines Company in 1953 as a public joint-stock company and its undertaking of the tasks of exploiting this wealth and managing its affairs. {Exploration, mining, production and export of phosphate}
1903 Phosphate is discovered in the Russeifa area (Blankenhorn).
1908 Phosphate is discovered in the Hasa area.
1930 – 1939 Preparation of the first geological maps of Jordan and Palestine (Blake G.S).
1939 Beginning of phosphate production in limited quantities and in primitive ways in the Russeifa area.
1953 Establishment of the Jordan Phosphate Mines Company and the beginning of commercial production of phosphate
1955 The first geological map of Jordan showing the potential locations of phosphate.
1954-1957 Conducting a geological survey and intensive exploration work in Russeifa and Al-Hasa on behalf of the Jordanian government.
1958 Exploration work and determining reserves in Al-Hasa / Jordan Phosphate Mines Company.
1962 Start of work in the Al-Hasa mine.
1974-1976 Conducting a geological survey of the Al-Hasa and Al-Shidiya areas and discovering Al-Shidiya ores / Natural Resources Authority.
1979 Start of work in the Wadi Al-Abyad mine.
1988 Start of mining in the Al-Shidiya mines.
Productive phosphate mining sites
1- Phosphate mining sector:
The Phosphate Mines Company operates three mines located in the central and southern regions of the Kingdom in 3 governorates; Karak, Tafilah and Ma'an, with a production capacity of up to 9.0 million tons per year:
- Al-Hasa Mine (Karak Governorate).
- Wadi Al-Abyad Mine (Tafilah Governorate).
- Al-Shidiya Mine (Ma'an Governorate).
Phosphate ore reserves
• Many geological studies indicate that about 60% of the Kingdom's lands contain phosphate deposits located at different depths.
• Mining these ores depends on their economic feasibility; i.e. the cost of extracting, processing, transporting and marketing opportunities.
The discovered geological reserve is estimated at about (1.3) billion