The Chinese group Sinoma Construction has signed a significant engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contract with the Moroccan giant OCP for an advanced phosphate processing unit. The agreement, announced on Wednesday, January 7, aligns with OCP’s strategy to upgrade its industrial capabilities, as it plays a central role in the global phosphate and fertilizer market.
According to information published by Barlamane.com, the contract encompasses the entire project cycle, including design, procurement, construction, and commissioning of chemical facilities aimed at the industrial valorization of phosphate. This marks the first direct contractual collaboration between OCP and Sinoma Construction, representing a significant step in the Moroccan group’s openness to international partners specialized in heavy engineering.
Located within one of OCP’s major industrial complexes, the project aims to enhance downstream processing capacities by directing production towards high value-added segments. The new facilities are expected to meet the sustained growth in global demand for processed phosphate products, while also strengthening the industrial competitiveness of the concerned site.
Sinoma Construction is not a new player in Morocco. Established in the Kingdom since 2005, the company first made its mark by executing cement projects under the EPC model, notably in partnership with Holcim. This long-term presence has allowed the group to form a Moroccan subsidiary with independent capabilities, capable of managing complex industrial projects.
According to provided information, the tender was administered and won by the local subsidiary, supported by the group’s technical and commercial sectors. The work has now entered the execution phase, adhering to high standards of industrial safety, particularly stringent in the chemical field.
Sinoma Construction indicates that this project could serve as a foundation for expanded cooperation with OCP, mobilizing the combined expertise of the different entities within the Chinese group.
This new investment fits into an already highly integrated industrial framework. OCP notably relies on a 187-kilometer pipeline connecting the Khouribga mining basin to the industrial and port platform of Jorf Lasfar, facilitating the transport of high-concentration phosphate slurry, with significant optimization of costs and inputs.
The group exploits the large phosphate basins of Khouribga, Gantour, and Boucraa, which are distinguished by a high phosphorus content, particularly suitable for the production of phosphoric acid. OCP is simultaneously enhancing its production capacities of triple superphosphate (TSP), especially at Jorf Lasfar, an industrial choice aimed at reinforcing the group’s autonomy by limiting reliance on imported ammonia.
In this context, the EPC contract signed with Sinoma Construction illustrates OCP’s ongoing efforts to extend and modernize its industrial capabilities. It also confirms the increasing embedding of Chinese firms within Morocco’s strategic industrial value chains, amid a reshaping of global industrial and energy balances.
With Barlamane.
