Research and development

The Company Management is keen on activating the role of technical research to develop its operations and products to maintain its reputation and visibility on the international markets. The Company conducts studies, research and development. It delivers technical services to the Company sites, companies, and customers importing the products of the Company. In addition, the Company provides services to the companies and scientific institutions and universities in a manner that serves the local community. In addition, the Company provides training to university students and fresh graduates in its laboratories where it enjoys a wide-scope varied experience in addition to technical equipment and laboratory equipment as well as several pilot factories. In coordination with the other technical departments, the Company conducts, as well, studies to evaluate the discovered ores. It conducts studies to raise the laboratory and pioneering percentage on the various types of phosphate produced.

The Company is keen on:

• Continuous improvement and development of its operations and products provided in fulfilment of the needs and expectations of stakeholders of all categories via continuous monitoring and follow-up of the variables within its ecosystem. The Company works on developing its tools for the purposes of market analysis and study. It scans and identifies the strengths and weaknesses of its competitors, and to know the volume of demand for the company's products, and the possibility of opening new markets, or the possibility of expanding into existing markets through the company's strategic partners. 

• Implementing market studies and research persistently to collect the necessary information by employing a number of tools such as global bulletins, meetings, global conferences…etc. and analyzing them to identify competitors in current and potential markets and have an idea about promising customers. 

• Improving and developing existing projects, and the while introducing new initiatives according to the societal, environmental and economic needs that are being counted in line with the strategic objectives of the Company and to achieve the goals of sustainable development (SDGs) whilst realizing its vision of being "a pioneering, distinguished and sustainable company in the mining sector and phosphate fertilizers in compliance with the highest standards of quality and environment conservation."

• In terms of environment and public safety, the Company is keen on implementing its operations and activities within proper environmental conditions by applying the systems pertinent to environment, safety and occupational health in line with the internationally approved standards. As such, the Company conserves the several environment elements on the Company sites and their surroundings; it conserves the natural resources including surface and ground water…etc. The Company optimizes the use of such resources and conserves the distinct marine environment in the Aqaba Gulf. 

• Developing its products and related processes to improve their specifications by benefiting from a number of channels such as feedback from customer groups and through market studies that it carries out to identify the market's need for current or future products in accordance with international bulletins, compare them with competitors, and participate in global meetings and conferences. In fact, the Company has developed new products based on customer needs and developed its production processes through automation to ensure value buildup and meet customer needs.

• Reviewing and developing the bylaws and procedures applied at the Company by setting performance indicators related to the implementation and measurement of inspection procedures, and by periodically making use of the results of performance indicators pertinent to the application of occupational health and safety. 

• Promoting the culture of creativity in the Company, and conducting studies on a number of creative project ideas such as the yellow phosphor production project to develop new products.

• Adopting some tools to identify the Company needs for future transformation and identifying the future projects as well as analyzing their future impacts and feasibility including feasibility studies of future projects in order to consider the potential environmental and social impacts in relation with implementing such projects. Market studies are to be conducted as well in order to identify the competitors; their weaknesses and strengths as well as their targeted clientele and the demand volume. Geological studies will be conducted in order to locate the rock phosphate availability in the ground layers. Benchmarks will take place with some similar companies including benchmarking the product quality and market share. Prices of raw materials are to be compared worldwide. In this respect, international conferences are attended in order to review the best practices. 

Following are some examples of these studies: 

• The Yellow Phosphorous Production Project using the low grade phosphate. The energy cost is a big challenge confronting this project. 

• Embarking on the studies to revamp the plants of phosphoric acid and sulfuric acid that belong to the Indo-Jordan Chemicals Company. As such, a new sulfuric acid unit is to be constructed with a production capacity of 2000 tons/day. In the same token, the production capacity of the phosphoric acid plant will be increased from 1000 tons of P2O5 to 1500 tons/day for an estimated cost of almost USD 160 million and a duration of 30 months. 

• Improving the aluminum fluoride produced at the Industrial Complex in Aqaba and transforming it from low density to high density by means of modifying the manufacturing process. The approximate amount is about USD 3 million. 

• Establishing an additional fertilizer production unit in the Industrial Complex in Aqaba with a production capacity of half a million ton/year. This unit is meant to be equivalent to the current fertilizer units. The new production unit will be designed to produce several types of phosphate and compound fertilizers.

• Extracting heavy metals such as uranium and vanadium from phosphoric acid in cooperation with an international Australian company. 

• Conducting studies on using gypsum in construction and roads in cooperation with a local company. 

• Conducting studies to reduce production costs of aluminum fluoride by replacing some of the raw materials with others that are available locally.

• Conducting studies to make use from the waste industrial water resulting from the production of fluorspar and hydrogen fluoride. 

• Constructing a new fertilizer depot to fulfill the increased demand for fertilizer and in order to secure sufficient stock in emergency cases so that the storage capacity will be 100,000 tons.