ICL JV YPH | China
ICL China YPH JV, a joint venture of ICL with Yunnan Phosphate Chemicals Group Corporation Ltd, operates the Haikou open-pit mining site and holds a concession for mining phosphates in the Baitacun mine.
The Haikou Mine is spread over 9.6 square kilometers and the Baitacun Mine is spread over 3.08 square kilometers. \
In October 2015, ICL completed the establishment of a 50/50 joint venture with Yunnan Phosphate Chemicals Group Corporation Ltd. The joint venture, ICL China YPH JV, has been included in our reports and databases from 2016 and onwards. ICL has since applied all it’s EHS and sustainability procedures on the YPH sites, and has included the joint venture in global corporate efficiency and operational excellence programs.
YPH holds a concession for the Haikou Mine that expires in 2043, and holds a concession for mining phosphates through 2018 in an additional mine named Baitacun (the “Baitacun mine”), which is located several kilometers from the Haikou Mine. Mining activities have not yet commenced in Baitacun.
The mining in the Haikou Mine is via open mining using conventional methods of drilling and blasting, hydraulic excavators, mining trucks and tractors for mining phosphates. In the first stage of the mining process, the upper ground level is stripped and stored or spread out over mined areas for purposes of reclamation. In the second stage, drilling, blasting and stripping of the upper overburden level is executed. In the third stage, the mining of the phosphate is performed by drilling and blasting of every layer separately (between which interburden layers exist, of approximately 11 meters in thickness. These layers are also drilled, blasted and stripped). Finally, the mined phosphate is loaded on trucks and being transported to the beneficiation plants.
ICL JV YPH strives to continuously improve the environmental protection of its operations and products. Adhering to the principle of "Protection with development, development with protection", YPH attaches great importance to mine reclamation, with a reclamation rate of more than 90%.
Close to the Haikou mine, there are two beneficiation plants, designated for flotation and scrubbing. The output of these facilities is sent to the phosphoric acid production plants of Yunnan Three Circles Chemical Co. Ltd. (“3C”), a YPH JV fully owned subsidiary, which produces acids and fertilizers. The ICL YPH 3C has a production site is located several kilometers from the Haikou mine, which includes five sulphuric acid plants, three green phosphoric acid plants, one plant for manufacturing technical grade white phosphoric acid and six fertilizer plants. These plants are powered by an on-site heat power generator, having a capacity of 9MW. The power is a by-product of the sulphuric acid production process.
