Emmerson receives mining licence for Morroco project

9th February 2021 By: Simone Liedtke - Creamer Media Social Media Editor & Senior Writer

The Moroccan Ministry of Energy, Mines and Environment has granted potash developer Emmerson a mining licence for its wholly owned Khemisset potash project.

The licence provides the company with the exclusive right to develop and mine the potash deposit, within the perimeter of the licence, in the Khemisset basin, ahead of the anticipated initiation of construction by the end of 2021.
 
The grant of the mining licence follows a successful application process, which included the submission of a proven Joint Ore Reserves Committee-compliant mineral resource estimate and the confirmed technical and economic viability of the project, which was satisfied by the feasibility study.

The mining licence encompasses the full resource base, allowing simple expansion of the operations in the future without the requirement to re-permit.

Emmerson CEO Graham Clarke says that, with the expected production of up to 800 000 t/y of potash, for export or domestic consumption, “Khemisset is forecast to deliver considerable economic benefits to our stakeholders including an anticipated 1% increase to the national tax revenues of Morocco”.

At the local level, the benefit to stakeholders is “even more important”, with an estimated 40% increase to the local area gross domestic product.