CAIRO: An official source in Kuwait-based Kharafi Group in Cairo announced the group was scheduled to launch works to build its chemicals and petrochemicals complex in Fayoum within six months, wired Al-Qabas. A Kharafi executive disclosed the project totaled $675m in costs, furthering the group had obtained a final approval from the Egyptian Ministry of Environmental Affairs to push forward with the giant venture. Sources explained the approval was granted based on a recommendation by the Environmental Protection Apparatus following a study by the EPA scrutinizing the project s technical aspects, especially those pertaining to salt extraction environmental procedures and standards. Meanwhile, the head of the Egyptian Industrial Development Authority Amr Asal disclosed that Kharafi Group had lodged official consent from Egyptian authorities to the EDA two weeks ago; pointing out the two-phased project could create 5000 job openings. The Egyptian official continued to point out the project stretched across 4000 acres and was designed to produce an annualized 220,000 tons of sodium sulfates, 250,000 tons of sodium chloride and 66,000 tons of caustic soda during the first phase of operations. The bi-products are to be extracted from salt deposits in Qaroun Lake in Fayoum, in addition to a facility producing hydrochloric acid at the capacity of 30,000 tons per annum. The second phase of the project includes building a calcium production unit with a capacity of 232,000 tons per year, a magnesium chloride plant at the capacity of 150,000 tons per annum and a regular magnesium facility at the capacity of 32,000 tons per annum, devoting a large chunk of the project s output to exports.
