The Hindu Business Line : India seeks long-term supply of phosphates from Syria

New Delhi, Aug. 16 The Government has expressed interest to participate in long-term contracts with Syria for the import of rock phosphate and phosphoric acid. This was conveyed by the Minister of Steel, Chemicals and Fertilisers, Mr Ram Vilas Paswan, when the Syrian Foreign Minister, Mr Walid Mouallem, called on the former on Tuesday.

“Syria has abundant reserves of rock phosphate which is a crucial raw material required for the manufacture of key fertilisers like di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) and single super phosphate (SSP). But unfortunately only a very small amount is being explored by them at the moment. So the Indian Government is keen to enter into a long-term stable agreement so that it would be beneficial to both countries,” a senior official in the Department of Fertilisers (DoF) told Business Lin e.

According to estimates, Syria has around 1,700 million tonnes of rock phosphate reserves but is exploring only around 3.5 million tonnes. Currently, India imports around 2.65 million tonnes of rock phosphate and around 2.33 million tonnes of phosphoric acid.

“Basically we are looking at a joint venture partnership with the local exploration company in Syria so that we can get mining rights and also set up a beneficiation plant so that the quality of rock phosphate can be improved to suit our needs,” the official said.

Beneficiation is a process whereby extracted ore from mining is reduced to particles that can be separated into mineral and waste, the former suitable for further processing or direct use. Generally, there are two ways the ore is beneficiated, one by wet washing and the other by dry washing.

Recently the DoF had sent a couple of officials to explore the quality of rock phosphate that is available in Syria. The team found that the rock phosphate available there was of low grade and was not suitable for making DAP. “Ideally the phosphate pent oxide content in rock phosphate should be above 31 per cent for it to be utilised to manufacture DAP and for SSP it can be between 20 and 30 per cent. The team found that the rock phosphate available there contains between 24 and 26 per cent of phosphate pent oxide and this is why the rock needs to be beneficiated before it can be utilised in the manufacture of SSP,” the official said.

Mr Paswan is also understood to have assured Mr Mouallem that India can also consider strengthening the mining infrastructure and help in upgrading railways and ports if such a long-term contract is worked out.

“The visiting Foreign Minister was also informed that the Indian industry would be keen on participating in the global tender that Syria wants to float for the sale of around one million tonnes of beneficiated rock phosphate,” the official said.

“Mr Mouallem said that Syria was looking forward to increased economic ties between the two countries. And the interest that was conveyed would be put forward to the officials concerned so that the discussions could be carried forward,” the official added.

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