OCP Group and Morocco's Phosphate Industry

Last reviewed: 2026-10-02

OCP Group (Office Chérifien des Phosphates) is Morocco's state-controlled phosphate company and the world's largest integrated producer of phosphate rock, phosphoric acid and phosphate-based fertilisers. It mines at Khouribga, Benguerir, Youssoufia and Boucraa, has a rock production capacity of approximately 50 million tonnes a year, and has exclusive access to roughly 70% of the world's known phosphate reserves. In 2025 OCP reported revenue of approximately MAD 114 billion (around US$11–12 billion), up about 17% year on year. Phosphates and derivatives are consistently among Morocco's top export categories, accounting for roughly a fifth of goods exports.

OCP at a glance

Figures are rounded and change with fertiliser prices and the exchange rate. For audited numbers always refer to OCP Group's published financial statements and results releases.

Why phosphates matter to Morocco's economy

Phosphate is an essential, non-substitutable input for agriculture: phosphorus is one of the three primary plant nutrients alongside nitrogen and potassium. Because Morocco controls the majority of the world's economically recoverable reserves, the sector gives the country strategic weight in global food security far beyond its economic size.

Domestically, the phosphate value chain contributes in three main ways:

• Exports and foreign currency: phosphates and derivatives (rock, phosphoric acid and fertilisers) typically rank alongside the automotive sector as Morocco's largest export category. In strong-price years exports have exceeded MAD 100 billion; in recent years they have been in the region of MAD 90 billion or more, roughly a fifth of total goods exports according to Office des Changes data.
• GDP and public finances: mining and quarrying represent a modest single-digit share of GDP, but OCP's dividends and taxes are a meaningful source of state revenue, and its investment programme drives activity in construction, engineering and services.
• Regional development: OCP is the main employer in towns such as Khouribga, Benguerir and Youssoufia and has invested heavily in urban development, education and training in these mining regions.

For the wider macroeconomic picture see our Morocco economy overview, and for other minerals (cobalt, copper, silver, zinc, lead) see the Morocco mining sector guide.

Mining operations: Khouribga, Benguerir, Youssoufia and Boucraa

OCP operates open-pit mines in four mining areas. Extraction follows the classic sequence of overburden removal (drilling, blasting and stripping with draglines, excavators and haul trucks), extraction of the phosphate layers, then screening, washing and flotation to upgrade the ore before it is shipped or processed.

The Khouribga–Jorf Lasfar slurry pipeline

Commissioned in 2014, an approximately 187 km slurry pipeline carries phosphate pulp (ore mixed with water) from Khouribga to the Jorf Lasfar platform on the Atlantic coast. It replaced much of the rail haulage, significantly cutting transport costs, energy use and CO₂ emissions, and it allows ore to be processed wet at Jorf Lasfar without the energy-intensive drying step. It is one of the key reasons OCP is among the lowest-cost producers in the industry. Read more about Morocco's ports and rail network in our logistics guide.

Production capacity and expansion

OCP reports a phosphate rock production capacity of approximately 50 million tonnes a year. Its long-term strategy, set out in successive industrial programmes since 2008, has been to increase flexibility rather than simply volume: the group can choose to sell rock, phosphoric acid or finished fertilisers depending on market prices, and to tailor fertiliser formulations to specific soils and crops. Further capacity additions are planned in mining, beneficiation and downstream processing, but specific tonnage targets should be checked against OCP's latest annual report and investor presentations, as they are periodically revised.

Chemical processing: Jorf Lasfar and Safi

Most Moroccan phosphate is no longer exported as raw rock but is converted into higher-value products at two coastal industrial platforms.

Jorf Lasfar

Located near El Jadida, Jorf Lasfar is the world's largest phosphate-fertiliser production complex. It hosts sulphuric acid plants, phosphoric acid lines, granulation units producing DAP, MAP, TSP and NPK fertilisers, joint ventures with international partners, a dedicated port, and desalination capacity. In 2025 OCP commissioned a new triple superphosphate (TSP) line at Jorf Lasfar with a capacity of approximately 500,000 tonnes a year, as well as additional phosphoric acid treatment capacity.

Safi

The Safi platform, historically fed by the Gantour basin (Benguerir and Youssoufia), produces phosphoric acid and fertilisers. It is being modernised as part of OCP's investment programme, with new capacity and a growing focus on specialty products.

Product range

• Phosphate rock – sold to processors worldwide.
• Phosphoric acid – merchant-grade and purified acid for fertiliser, food and industrial uses.
• Fertilisers – DAP, MAP, TSP, NPS and customised NPK blends, marketed largely through OCP Nutricrops.
• Specialty products – feed phosphates and soluble fertilisers for high-value farming.

Export markets and global position

OCP sells to customers on five continents, with major markets in South Asia (notably India), Latin America (notably Brazil), Africa, Europe and North America. India's demand recovery was a key driver of the 2025 revenue increase. Through OCP Africa, the group has built distribution networks, blending units and farmer-support programmes in numerous African countries, positioning Morocco as a partner in the continent's agricultural productivity. For Morocco's own farming sector, see our agriculture guide.

OCP is also an active issuer on international debt markets, and its bonds are rated by the major credit-rating agencies, which makes its financial disclosures relatively detailed and regular: quarterly results releases, an annual report and an integrated/sustainability report.

Green investment programme

In late 2022 OCP announced a green investment programme of approximately MAD 130 billion for 2023–2027. Its main goals are:

• 100% renewable electricity for operations by around 2027, through solar and wind capacity combined with cogeneration from its sulphuric acid plants.
• 100% non-conventional water – desalinated seawater and treated wastewater – to supply its industrial sites and surplus water to surrounding communities, easing pressure on Morocco's scarce freshwater resources.
• Green ammonia production using renewable hydrogen, replacing imported ammonia used in fertiliser manufacturing.
• Carbon neutrality across scopes 1 and 2 by 2040, according to the group's stated objectives.

These targets link directly to Morocco's broader energy transition; see our renewable energy guide for national solar, wind and green hydrogen projects. Progress against each target should be verified in OCP's latest sustainability reporting.

Digitalisation and innovation in phosphate mining

Like other large miners, OCP has invested in digital technologies to improve safety, productivity and resource efficiency. Publicly described initiatives fall into several broad categories:

• Mine planning and geology: 3D geological modelling, drone surveys and data analytics to optimise extraction sequences and ore blending.
• Fleet and equipment management: telemetry on haul trucks, excavators and draglines, with predictive maintenance aimed at reducing unplanned downtime.
• Process control: sensors and advanced control systems in beneficiation and chemical plants to stabilise quality and reduce energy and water consumption.
• Data and AI: OCP has created digital and AI-focused entities and partnerships to develop industrial data platforms and applications.
• Agronomy: soil mapping, digital advisory tools and customised fertiliser formulations for farmers.

Much of this research and training is anchored at Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) in Benguerir, founded with OCP backing, which hosts research programmes in mining, chemistry, agriculture, data science and green energy, together with startup and innovation programmes.

Legal and regulatory framework

Phosphates hold a special legal status in Morocco:

• State reservation: since a Dahir of 1920, exploration and exploitation of phosphates have been reserved to the State, which entrusts them to OCP. Private companies therefore cannot obtain phosphate mining titles in the way they can for other minerals.
• Mining Code (Law No. 33-13): governs exploration and mining permits for other mineral substances, including permit types, duration, environmental obligations and site rehabilitation. It is administered by the Ministry of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development.
• Environment: environmental impact assessments are required for major projects, and OCP publishes sustainability reports covering emissions, water use and phosphogypsum management.
• Product standards: fertiliser exports must meet destination-market rules, such as the EU Fertilising Products Regulation, which sets limits on contaminants like cadmium.

Foreign companies typically participate in the phosphate sector as joint-venture partners in downstream processing, as suppliers of equipment and engineering services, or as offtakers, rather than as miners. See the investment guide for the general framework applying to foreign investors.

Business opportunities around the phosphate value chain

• Mining equipment and services: haul trucks, excavators, drilling, tyres, spare parts, maintenance contracts and conveyor systems.
• Engineering and construction: new chemical lines, desalination plants, renewable energy installations and port facilities.
• Industrial digital solutions: sensors, automation, analytics and cybersecurity for plants and mines.
• Green chemistry: green ammonia, hydrogen, and recovery of by-products such as phosphogypsum and rare earths.
• Agri-services: fertiliser distribution, soil testing and digital agronomy in Morocco and across Africa.

OCP runs supplier qualification and local-sourcing programmes; prospective suppliers should consult the group's procurement portal. Other leading Moroccan groups are profiled on our key companies page.

Risks and challenges

• Price volatility: fertiliser prices swing with energy, ammonia and sulphur costs, export policies of other producers and crop prices, causing large year-to-year changes in revenue.
• Input dependence: sulphur and ammonia are largely imported, which is one motivation for green ammonia projects.
• Water scarcity: chemical processing is water intensive, hence the shift to desalination.
• Environmental scrutiny: cadmium content, phosphogypsum storage and emissions are subject to growing regulatory and customer attention.

Sources and further reading

• OCP Group – quarterly and annual results releases, annual report and sustainability report (ocpgroup.ma).
• U.S. Geological Survey – Mineral Commodity Summaries: Phosphate Rock.
• Office des Changes – annual foreign trade statistics for Morocco.
• Ministry of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development – mining legislation (Law No. 33-13).