OCP Maintenance arm and Greek firm Sychem partner to keep desalination plants running. OCP Maintenance Solutions (OMS), a subsidiary of OCP Group, and Greek engineering firm Sychem, acting through its Moroccan subsidiary Sychem Africa, have launched a 12-month partnership to keep desalination plants running efficiently and cut maintenance costs, 7News reports. The deal also foresees a specialist centre in Morocco. Discover more Agriculture agricultural Moroccan Hydrocarbon Exploration OMS would supply local technical teams, equipment management and digital monitoring that flags early signs of failure. Sychem would contribute engineering, process management, commissioning, staff training and know-how transfer. Both plan to recruit Moroccan engineers and technicians, and each can offer the other's services to its own clients. A first phase will assess equipment reliability, maintenance response times and operating costs, and its results will decide whether the cooperation extends to other facilities. OMS said it intends to "build a center of excellence in Morocco and support new projects in Africa and internationally". No location, opening date, staffing or financing has been announced. The article names no plants, capacities, deal value or performance targets. Morocco Travel Guide The deal follows a September announcement in El Jadida. Sychem previously worked on OCP Green Water's Wave 2E plant at Jorf Lasfar, which desalinates 60,000 cubic meters a day. By mid-2026 OCP's desalination capacity reached about 340 million cubic meters a year across eight coastal facilities, with a target of 560 to 630 million by 2027-30.

Phosphate giant seeks foreign investors as war squeezes finances. Bloomberg Markets 3 hours ago 81 Morocco's phosphate giant OCP SA is looking to attract foreign investors for some of its businesses, as supply disruptions caused by the Iran war hit profits at the state-owned company. BankBit shares this Content always with CC License Screenshot generated in real time with SneakPeek Suite

Iraq and Morocco discuss sulfur exports as fertilizer industry supplies suffer Talks come amid rising cost of Morocco's imports and declining phosphate exports, while the passage of Iraqi shipments through the Strait of Hormuz remains a major challenge 4 min read Published: September 24, 2026 15:50 * Morocco's sulfur imports jumped 159% to 20.2 billion dirhams during the first seven months of the year * Maintenance work at "OCP" during the second quarter affected about 30% of production capacity due to sulfur and ammonia shortages * "OCP" revenues fell 7% in the first half to 48.3 billion dirhams amid disruptions to raw materials and logistics Iraq and Morocco discussed in New York expanding economic cooperation, including exporting Iraqi sulfur to Morocco, which is suffering from disruptions in sulfur supplies due to the Iran war and the disruption of the Strait of Hormuz. Morocco's sulfur imports reached 20.2 billion dirhams over seven months, while phosphate exports fell 7.8%. Morocco's OCP Group recorded a 7% decline in revenues in the second quarter due to sulfur shortages. Iraq and Morocco discussed opportunities to export Iraqi sulfur to the kingdom, at a time when Morocco's phosphate fertilizer industry faces disruptions in supplies of this essential material, as a result of the fallout from the Iran war and the disruption of shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. Iraqi Foreign Minister Fouad Hussein said, in a post on X, that he discussed with his Moroccan counterpart Nasser Bourita in New York expanding economic and trade cooperation between the two countries, "including opportunities to export Iraqi sulfur to the Kingdom of Morocco." The post did not include details on potential quantities or a supply timetable. Before the war broke out at the end of February, about half of the world's seaborne sulfur usually passed through the Strait of Hormuz, according to a previous Reuters report. The disruption of supply flows through the corridor led to a shortage of supply and higher prices, increasing pressure on industries dependent on this material. The value of Morocco's sulfur imports reached 20.2 billion dirhams during the first seven months of the year, compared with 7.8 billion dirhams in the same period last year, according to data from the Exchange Office, the government agency concerned with foreign trade statistics, an increase of 159% year on year. In contrast, phosphate industry exports reached 50.9 billion dirhams until the end of July, a year-on-year decline of 7.8%. Hussein's post did not explain how Iraq plans to bypass the Strait of Hormuz, especially since it relies almost entirely on the strait to move shipments to global markets. Sulfur disruptions pressure production Sulfur supplies were affected by the repercussions of the war and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which was reflected in the activity of Morocco's OCP Group, state-owned and one of the world's largest phosphate fertilizer producers. During the second quarter, the group began maintenance work that affected about 30% of its production capacity, and an Argus report attributed this to a shortage of sulfur and ammonia supplies. The disruption in supplies of basic materials was reflected in the results of the Moroccan group, which recorded revenues of 28.2 billion dirhams, equivalent to about $3 billion, during the second quarter, a decline of nearly 7% year on year, according to results announced in early September. "OCP" said the results came in "a context marked by strong geopolitical tensions and logistical disruptions that affected raw material flows globally." The group's revenues during the first half reached 48.3 billion dirhams, a 7% annual decline. It explained that it adjusted input supplies, product mix, and production levels according to market developments, to maintain its ability to respond to customer needs. Structural dependence on imports Sulfur supply options are important for Morocco's fertilizer industry, as the Ministry of Economy and Finance said in a monthly report on economic conditions that "OCP" depends structurally on imported sulfur, while its exposure to ammonia risks remains more limited. The group manages phosphate reserves in Morocco, which represent about 70% of global reserves, but its dependence on importing basic raw materials restricts its production. The talks with Iraq place a potential source of sulfur on the cooperation agenda between the two countries, amid the Moroccan sector's need to secure inputs that allow it to convert its phosphate wealth into fertilizers.