The owners of Boulby potash mine have announced an investment of £38 million to increase production to 600,000 tons per year. The mine which is operated by Cleveland Potash Ltd (CPL) currently produces 130,000 tons of polyhalite per year, marketed as Polyphosphate since 2010. Its parent company, Tel Aviv-based ICL Fertilizer states that studies indicate that there are deposits of more than 1 billion tons of polyhalite under the existing mine. The funds will be used for underground equipment and surface facilities to crush and screen material, as well as to upgrade rail and dock facilities. CPL is the only company mining polyhalite today. Polyhalite is a complex salt comprised of sulphur, potassium, magnesium, and calcium. It is low in chlorides and can be used as a specialty fertilizer for agricultural land that is sensitive to chlorine, and is certified and approved for use in organic farming systems.
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