A US$ 100m potash exploration project is expected to take place in the Afar Regional State, Ethiopia.
Yara Dallol BV, a subsidiary of Yara International, is currently finalizing on the mega project. Company’s executive director, Sanjay Singh Rathore, has said that they have been prospecting for potash in the Afar Dallol depression and they are pleased that finally they have been able to bear fruits.
“We are now in the process of completing the definitive feasibility study. If approved we will be producing 0.6 million tons of potash annually by applying solution mining,” Singh said.
Yara is currently waiting for the approval of the feasibility study by the board and if approved they are expecting to build a potash mine in the Dallol depression and a potash fertilizer factory at a total cost of US$ 1bn. The company is expecting a capacity of 1-1.5 million tons of potash per year, and the deposits have resources of more than 30 years mining.
Earlier on this year, Ethiopia identified Potash, among 20 minerals, in the country – according to Geological Survey of Ethiopia (GSE).