Morocco’s minister for logistics and transport, Abdelkar Amara has said that the construction of Kribhco- OCP’s plant in Andhra Pradesh is expected to commence in the next few months. Amara is on a tour to India.
Kribhco and OCP have entered into a 50:50 joint venture to develop a large scale greenfield NPK fertilizer plant in the port city of Krishnapatnam in Andhra Pradesh.
“Currently, the project is under engineering study and by June-July, work on the plant should begin,” Moroccan Ambassador to India Mohamed Malaki said.
The plant at Krishnapatnam is expected to process up to 1.2 million ton of NPK or Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium fertiliser.
Readers would recall that honuoring its commitment made in the last AGM Kribhco had announced a Joint Venture with the OCP at a media event organized in upscale Tajman Singh Hotel in N Delhi last year in October.
The State Union Minister Manshukh Mandaviya was the Chief Guest and he said this project is a step towards realizing the dream of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Make in India”.
The fertilizer plant would require an initial investment of $ 230 million (Rs 1540 crore) and will have an annual production capacity of 1.2 million MT of NPK fertilizer. The project also included logistic infrastructural development in the region.
The two countries have tradition of mutual cooperation. India was one of the first countries which recognized the state of Morocco in 1956. Morocco has been contributing in the development of the fertilizer sector in the country since 1940, said one of the officials.
Moroccan rocks contain high grade sulphuric acid which would be imported for the plant.
Chandra Pal Singh said Kribhco which has membership of more than 10 thousand farmers’ cooperatives would serve NPK and DAP to the farmers with the help of OCP.
Andhra govt has announced a slew of steps to help the project. More than 286 acres of land has been acquired and the first batch of commercial production would start from April 2019.