Baghdad: The Iraqi Ministry of Industry and Minerals announced its intention to proceed with the construction of a new phosphate plant in the Al Qaim district of Anbar province, western Iraq, to utilize 10 billion tons of the country's phosphate reserves.

According to Qatar News Agency, Ministry spokesperson Duha al Jubouri stated that the project, costing approximately $2 billion, aims to revive the sector after the near-total destruction of the existing phosphate plant due to terrorist operations. She added that the project will be implemented in partnership with the private sector and is considered a mega-project reflecting Iraq's significant potential.

Al Jubouri further explained that the project's production capacity will be distributed as follows: 500,000 tons annually of triple superphosphate (TSP) fertilizer and one million tons annually of diphosphate fertilizer (DAP). She noted that the project is based on strategic advantages, as the western Anbar desert contains one of the world's largest phosphate reserves, estimated at approximately 10 billion tons.