Emmerson says crop trials confirm quality of Khemisset

Emmerson PLC (AIM:EML), the Morocco-focused potash development company, said recent crop trials on products from its Khemisset project had confirmed their effectiveness as a source of phosphate [for fertiliser].

Graham Clarke, chief executive, added these would be followed by trials on its effectiveness for other micronutrients (magnesium and iron) they contain as well as their slow-release properties.

“We have also signed MOUs for the offtake of a significant quantity of the new KMP products, confirming the marketability of these multi-nutrient fertilisers," he said with patent applications now submitted in Morocco as well as the UK.

Hexagon Group signed an MOU in June for some of the new fertiliser products resulting from KMP and comprising up to  300,000 metric tonnes of struvite-based products and 50,000 tonnes per annum of vivianite-based products  

Emmerson recently submitted a revised Environmental & Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) incorporating optimisations from the Khemisset Multi-mineral Process (KMP).

The ESIA is currently under review by Morocco’s Commission Régionale Unifiée de l'Investissement.

Clarke said: "Following the positive news at the end of Q1 that our recourse application for the environmental approval had been upheld and would be referred back to the CRUI for reconsideration, we were delighted to update our ESIA to show the significant improvements brought about by the KMP optimisations in addition to the previous design optimisations.

“The overall environmental credentials of the Project are now even more robust, and, together with the compelling economics of the KMP update, should mean that we can obtain the necessary approvals and move forward with the Project swiftly.

"While we have been holding back from any major workstreams pending timing clarification of the ESIA approval process, we have nevertheless made some important steps forward on the new KMP products to be marketed.

Going forward, Emmerson said the priority for the third quarter remains to obtain environmental approval for Khemisset while at the same time continuing with low-cost/high-value test work related to KMP including crop trials, technical workshops, and production optimisations both in Morocco and the UK.