Belaruskali to cut production 30% in next 3-4 months - head
MINSK. Sept 5 (Interfax) - Belaruskali may cut its production of potassium fertilizers by approximately 30% in the next three to four months due to scheduled repairs and modernization of equipment, General Director Ivan Golovaty told journalists on Thursday.
"A decrease in production of as much 30% in the next three to four months is possible. We need to perform our planned repair and production modernization work," Golovaty said on the sidelines of the Argus Mineral Fertilizers Conference.
Belaruskaly produced over 12 million tonnes of potassium chloride in 2018, about 11.5 million in 2017, and 10.32 million in 2016.
It is the country's only producer of potassium chloride and is one of the biggest potash companies in the world. It exports to 107 countries through OJSC Belarusian Potash Company, and its share in the global potash-fertilizer export market is over 20%.
The company is implementing a serious investment program aimed at expanding its resource base and boosting production. It is planning to launch the Petrikovskoye GOK, whose design capacity is 1.5 million tonnes of potassium chloride, in December. In May of this year, it began building the Darasinsky mine, whose capacity is 1.8-2 million tonnes of potassium chloride per year.
Belaruskali is currently based at the Starobinskoye deposit (Minsk region) and has four mining groups, as well as auxiliary facilities and service divisions.