OREANDA-NEWS. January 12, 2012. OJSC Belaruskali has commissioned a second priority complex at the Krasnoslobodsky mine, raising the mine’s capacity threefold: from 1 million tonnes in 2011 to 3 million tonnes in 2012, a company representative told reporters.

The launch of the second-priority complex is part of the programme intended to raise Belaruskali’s potash fertilizers output by 17% in 2012 or up to 10.3 million tonnes.

The company is expected to launch the Berezovsky mine in July 2012, which designed capacity will reach 6 million tonnes per annum by 2015, with the life cycle of at least 40 years. Belaruskali produced 8.8 million tonnes of potash in 2011 to compare with 8.6 million tonnes in 2010.

Belaruskali plans to boost output to 10.3 million tonnes by means of accelerating mining operations in Krasnoslobodski deposit, launching Beriozovski deposit and installing new equipment at concentrating mills in order to improve the quality of the end product.

The state-owned Belarusian company OJSC Belaruskali is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of potash fertilizers, employing about 20,000 personnel. It operates the Starobinskoye potash salts deposit and comprises four mine groups, auxiliary shops and support units.

Belaruskali controls 16% of the world’s potash fertilizer market.