Saudi Arabian Mining Company (Maaden) and Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (Sabic) have started commercial production of diammonium phosphate from the Maaden Phosphate plant at Ras al-Khair in the Eastern Province.

Commercial production started on 1 February and will be ramped up over the coming months to eventually hit the plant’s 3 million tonnes a year (t/y) capacity.

The offtake from the plant will be sold on the international market, with 400,000 t/y of surplus ammonia being sold domestically or internationally. The complex also has the capability to produce monammonium phosphate if market requirements demand it.

The plant will use phosphate mined at Al-Jalamid in the kingdom by Maaden. Maaden owns 70 per cent of the plant with Sabic owning the remaining 30 per cent.