JPMC, Indonesia partner to establish phosphoric acid plant

AMMAN — Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Jordan Phosphate Mines Company (JPMC) Mohammad Thneibat and Indonesian Minister of State Owned Enterprises, Erick Thohir on Sunday agreed to establish a new joint plant to produce 200,000 tonnes of phosphoric acid annually.

This would double the production capacity of the existing joint venture in Surabaya, Indonesia, to 400,000 tonnes.

In a meeting, the two sides agreed to form a joint technical committee tasked with preparing the necessary studies for the implementation of the new project, to be presented to their respective boards of directors for approval within two months.

Thneibat and Thohir discussed ways to enhance existing cooperation and expand joint investments, particularly in the fertiliser sector to meet the needs of the Indonesian market.

They commended their partnership in manufacturing phosphoric acid from Jordanian phosphate ore through the PJA Company, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The two sides underlined the "deep-rooted" Jordanian-Indonesian relations, built on the foundations laid by the leaderships of the two countries, and their mutual commitment to further developing them, especially in joint investment fields.

Thneibat stressed that enhancing cooperation and exchanging investment opportunities in the phosphate fertiliser sector would "significantly strengthen" the already "distinguished" relations between Jordan and Indonesia and reinforce their presence in the global phosphate market.

He stressed that such collaboration would contribute to increasing the added value of Jordanian phosphate.

Thneibat extended an invitation to the Indonesian minister to visit the Kingdom to learn more about the operations of the JPMC and to explore new joint investment opportunities, with production intended to meet the growing needs of the Indonesian market.

Thohir expressed pride in the "strong and cooperative" relations between Indonesia and Jordan, highlighting the importance of building further on these ties, particularly in the phosphate fertiliser sector.

He accepted the invitation to visit the company in September as part of efforts to exchange expertise and boost the "successful" partnership between the two countries.

Indonesia is a major consumer of Jordanian phosphate, with more than 800,000 tonnes of raw phosphate supplied annually to joint factories, in addition to quantities benefiting other consumers.

The JPMC’s total exports to the Indonesian market in 2024 amounted to some 1.4 million tonnes, Petra reported.