China’s Sinoma Construction, a subsidiary of the China National Building Material Group, has signed an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) agreement with Morocco’s OCP Group to develop a new phosphate processing facility. The partnership marks the first EPC-style collaboration between the two organisations and reflects a gradual strengthening of industrial cooperation between China and Morocco within Africa’s growing mineral and fertiliser industries.
Industry sources cited in Moroccan media indicate that the new facility is expected to be part of OCP’s Jorf Lasfar industrial platform, located on Morocco’s Atlantic coast. Jorf Lasfar serves as the country’s largest phosphate processing and export hub and plays a central role in its industrial value chain. The project includes the construction of chemical processing units, storage and logistics infrastructure, warehouses, and boiler systems, alongside loading and unloading facilities to support efficient operations.
As part of the agreement, Sinoma will oversee the project from design and procurement through to construction and commissioning. This comprehensive approach aligns with OCP’s wider objective of expanding its downstream phosphate capabilities and advancing processing efficiency through industrial partnerships.
OCP currently operates a 187 kilometre slurry pipeline connecting the Khouribga mining basin with the Jorf Lasfar complex. The pipeline enables the direct transport of high concentration phosphate slurry, reducing transport costs and emissions. The system is viewed as a key element in improving both environmental performance and productivity across Morocco’s phosphate sector.
Morocco possesses the world’s largest known phosphate reserves, concentrated in Khouribga, Youssoufia, Boucraa, and the Chaouia region south of Casablanca. The OCP Group processes more than 40 million tonnes of phosphate rock each year and exports fertiliser and phosphate-based products to over 160 countries. In recent years, the company has pursued diversification into specialised fertilisers and materials relevant to emerging industries, including energy storage and battery technologies.
For Sinoma, the partnership with OCP adds to its expanding EPC operations across Africa. Chinese construction and engineering firms have increased their participation in industrial and resource-based projects across the continent, focusing on infrastructure and manufacturing initiatives linked to mineral processing and energy transition materials.
The agreement contributes to broader regional industrialisation efforts by supporting the development of local processing capacity and technology transfer. It also highlights the changing dynamics of Africa’s industrial partnerships, with increasing emphasis on collaborative production, infrastructure efficiency, and environmental sustainability.
Both OCP and Sinoma have framed the agreement as a commercial partnership within a context of shared industrial goals. The project remains in its preparatory phase, and further details, including project cost, capacity, and timeline, have not yet been disclosed.
