New Potash Mine Capacity Comes Online Amid $70 Billion Project Development Push

Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Globally, there are 213 potash mining projects in development, representing about $70 billion in total investment value (TIV), according to Industrial Info's Global Mining Market Intelligence Platform.

About 30% of those projects, by value, are under construction, including projects by BHP Billiton plc (NYSE:BHP) (Melbourne, Australia), Belaruskali OAO, EuroChem Mineral and Chemical Company CJSC (Moscow, Russia) and Uralkaliy OAO (Berezniki, Russia). Combined, these mines under construction will bring online more than 30 million tons per year of potash capacity between now and 2021.

Canada and Russia are the top two countries for potash mine development. In Canada, K+S Potash Canada, a subsidiary of K+S Aktiengesellschaft Group (Kassel, Germany), held a ceremony on May 2 celebrating the grand opening of the $3.4 billion Legacy Potash Project in Saskatchewan. The mine, which has been renamed Bethune, began construction in 2012 at the peak of the mining boom. Since that time, the market for potash declined, but a recent uptick in demand is helping to buoy prices. A production rate of 2 million tons per year is expected by the end of 2017.

Industrial Info first reported on the Legacy Project in 2009, when it was owned by Potash One. In late 2010, SNC-Lavalin Constructors Incorporated (TSX:SNC) (Montreal, Quebec) completed a feasibility study, placing the price to develop the project at $2.5 billion. Today, that cost has risen to $3.4 billion. The project was placed on hold as K+S Group acquired Potash One, then restarted it in late 2011 with AMEC Foster Wheeler (NYSE:AMFW) (London, England) providing the engineering, procurement and construction management services.

A second and third phase of the expansion, at a cost of $1.3 billion, are planned to follow.

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