EcoPhos reinvests €35 million back

into Hauts-de-France

EcoPhos Dunkirk: the company’s technology showcase

Aliphos, the first EcoPhos Group factory located in Dunkirk, is now up and running. This €75 million investment supported by Nord France Invest

allowed for the development of a new innovative sector in the Hauts-de-France Region: the production of a new generation of phosphates (called Dical+). These purer phosphates are intended for animal feed and offer the benefit of being much more digestible (82% versus 50% for the competition). The extraction process itself reduces energy consumption and production costs by 35%. The factory will reach 70-80% of its total production capacity by the end of this year and 80-100% in 2019, amounting to 220,000 tons of phosphate per year.

A second factory in context

During the inauguration of its first factory in June, EcoPhos announced plans to set up a second factory in Dunkirk within three years, for an investment of €35 million. “Studies are underway, and we are looking for partners,” says Mohamed Takhim, CEO of EcoPhos. Faithful to the region, the Belgian company is demonstrating its satisfaction with its location, a sentiment shared by 85% of foreign companies in Hauts-de-France.* Continuously at the cutting edge of technology, this second factory will make it possible to extract phosphates from sludge incineration ash from wastewater treatment plants. This expansion of the Dunkirk factory is expected to increase the number of Aliphos employees, poised to make the site the largest (and only) fly ash treatment factory in the world. *According to a KPMG study in 2017, 85% of foreign companies operating in Hauts-de-France recommend the region (https://www.nordfranceinvest.com/telechargements/nom-du-fichier/etude-kpmg-sur-lattractivite-des-hauts-de-france-2017.html?type=987).

Dunkirk: a strategic choice

With 70% of the Dunkirk site’s phosphate production to be exported to Europe and a decision to import raw materials from Northern Africa and Europe, Dunkirk has established itself as the ideal business setup and expansion solution.

• A developed logistics network, with connections by train, sea, or truck
• Availability of land, making it possible to create a factory with the potential for expansions
• A strong industrial past and thus genuine expertise

The group

With currently three production sites worldwide (Netherlands, France, and Bulgaria) and 300 employees, EcoPhos is a booming Belgian company headquartered in Louvain-La-Neuve. The group, with its €150 million in revenue, also plans to open a factory in Egypt by the end of 2018 and in India in 2019, putting the company on track to become the world leader in phosphate production. Source: EcoPhos, JDE, les Echos