As the world population grows, the reality of just how critical potash will be in meeting the needs of the future, particularly in the form of fertilizer, has become ever-more apparent, putting a spotlight on the mineral and its supply chain, and causing a rise in demand for potash processing equipment.
Here’s a look at how potash rose to fame, and the countries bringing it to market throughout the world.
How Potash Became So Crucial
While potash is used in a range of products and chemicals, including detergents, water softeners, and even glass, its primary market driver is the fertilizer industry. And as scientists continue to unveil deeper layers of the complex inner workings behind optimal crop production, they are finding that potash is more crucial than ever thought before, affecting crop yield, quality, and even a crop’s ability to tolerate stress.
As a result, potash fertilizers have been quietly emerging out from under the shadows of nitrogen and phosphorus to facilitate the growing demand for proteins, biofuels, and food crops.
Concerns over rising potassium deficiencies resulting from excessive nutrient removal have also been growing in many areas. In 2017, mining giant BHP announced that they were anticipating the potash market to double by the late 2040s. In 2018, potash’s pivotal role was underscored by its inclusion in the Department of the Interior’s list of critical minerals.
Top Potash-Producing Countries
Although 2020 knocked the proverbial wind out of many industry sails, it left the potash market largely unscathed, due to the critical nature of the nutrient’s role in agriculture. In fact, production is estimated to have risen in 2020 compared to 2019.
According to the US Geological Survey’s most recent data, the top ten potash-producing countries are as follows, with estimated production for the year listed for each. Not surprisingly, Canada continues to account for the largest share, with a lead almost double that of the next in line, Russia. This year, Russia moved into second place, knocking Belarus down one spot with a slight lead in tonnage.
- Canada, 14 million metric tons
- Russia, 7.6 million metric tons
- Belarus, 7.3 million metric tons
- China, 5 million metric tons
- Germany, 3 million metric tons
- Israel, 2 million metric tons
- Jordan, 1.5 million metric tons
- Chile, 900 thousand metric tons
- Spain, 470 thousand metric tons
Laos didn’t make the top ten with just 400 thousand metric tons of production. Remaining countries contributed an additional 550 thousand metric tons of production.
In total, the world produced an estimated 43,000 million tons of potash in 2020.
Potash Newcomers
While they are not yet on the list of top producers, two continents are looking to join the race for potash:
Australia
Several potash development projects are underway in Australia, as Aussies look to mine their own source of potash fertilizers from the region’s abundant resources.
Africa
Africa is also working toward domestic production of potash fertilizers, thanks to the many deposits found on the continent, most notably in the Danakil Depression.
Both regions have long relied on imports for potassium inputs, but are forging ahead in developing domestic potash resources to reduce fertilizer costs for farmers and take advantage of growing demand for the nutrient.
New in 2020
In addition to the increase in production, the potash industry saw a number of other developments in 2020. A few highlights include:
- Potassium sulfate, or SOP, continues to gain market traction as a popular alternative to potassium chloride/MOP.
- Saskatchewan made changes to their industry’s tax regime in an effort to encourage more investment in R&D projects in the province.
- Brazil also completed a report aimed at evaluating the nation’s opportunity for a domestic potash industry (they currently rely on imports exclusively).
- The advancement of several projects, including the Kalium Lakes Beyondie SOP project, the Highfield Resources Muga potash project, the Australian Potash Lake Wells SOP project, and more.
Potash Mining & Processing Equipment in High Demand
With no alternative, potash must be mined, either by traditional mining methods, or via solution mining.
The growing demand bodes well for potash equipment suppliers, something Shane Le Capitaine, FEECO Process Sales Engineer, has already seen firsthand:
“We’ve seen increased interest in all of our potash processing equipment in the past 1-2 years, but the rise has been especially obvious when it comes to our potash dryers and bulk handling equipment, as these are required not just at the fertilizer production plant, but at the mine site as well.”
Le Capitaine notes that there has also been increased interest in potash process development and testing services in the FEECO Innovation Center. “Potash varies a lot, so drying and granulating it isn’t always as straightforward as producers would like it to be. Our testing programs give them a chance to gather data on their material and figure out exactly what their process needs to look like in order to yield the particular specifications they’re looking for from their source of potash,” he adds. “This is especially true of SOP, as it’s more of a novel product for a lot of producers.”
Conclusion
Potash is a crucial mineral in meeting future food security needs, as well as the growing demand for chemical products. While potash production is spread around the world, Canada holds the title for top producer. The critical role of potash in crop production has Australia and Africa also looking to develop domestic sources of the mineral.
FEECO is the potash industry’s preferred provider for potash processing and fertilizer production equipment, process development services, and parts and service support. For more information on our potash capabilities, contact us today!