VERLINDE wins the contract for the installation of lifting equipment at the maintenance facility of the new mine belonging to OCP, a world-leading phospahtes producer at EL HALASSA in MOROCCO.

The Cherifian Office for Phosphates enjoys a privileged position in the industrial history of Morocco.

Set up in 1920 for the activity of mining and rock processing, OCP has become important over time up the entire value chain, from the production of fertilizers to that of phosphorc acid, via the production of byproducts. It is now positioned as the leading world producer of phosphates in all its forms. It is also one of the world's largest fertilizer producers. OCP's workforce is approximately 23,000. The ongoing growth and leadership of OCP has been built up, from the start, on its industrial strategy. This goes hand in hand with a steady gain in strength of production facilities. The group is investing some MAD 145bn in its industrial upgrade program planned for the period from 2008 to 2025. OCP focuses on leading edge technologies for the rehabilitation and recycling of its now exhausted mines together with environment-friendly extraction methods.

Within the framework of this industrial strategy, OCP mines in the Ouled Abdoune basin at Khouribga,

205 km south of Rabat, mobilising an overall budget of the order of MAD 18bn. Harmonising economic development and environmental protection, OCP forecasts the opening of three new mines representing an increase of 20 million additional tonnes of phosphate in 2020 and boosting its capacity of extraction from its present 18 million tonnes/annum to 38 million tonnes/annum. With its completely integrated extraction to enrichment system, the El Halassa mine, one of the three new mines at the Khouribga site, represents an investment of MAD 2bn.

21 Verlinde overhead cranes and 6 Verlinde jib cranes
VERLINDE won the contract for the supply of lifting equipment for the UGM facilities complex where the machine fleet will be maintained; this includes bulldozers, trucks, excavators, etc.

AB Realisation, VERLINDE's integrator and exclusive distributor in Morocco, calculated a requirement for 21 single-beam and double-beam overhead cranes of 5, 10, 20 and 32 tonnes as well as 6 column-mounted jib cranes and 2 x 0.5 T monorails.

The EUROSTYLE Jib cranes are fitted with EUROCHAIN VL16 electric chain hoists and the overhead cranes with EUROBLOC VT2, VT3 and VT4 electric rope hoists according to application requirements.

AB Realisation provides an integrated service from the technical prescription, sale, manufacture and erection to the routine maintenance of the equipment and the firm works with numerous French businesses operating in Morocco. VERLINDE is a leading lifting equipment supplier in Morocco whose leadership can be explained by the reputation of its materials, both reliable and tough.

The travelling cranes that are installed are used to handle heavy components such as engines, gearboxes, etc. All installed structures and equipment were fully designed and delivered with their power supplies and wiring. VERLINDE EUROBLOC VT wire rope hoists were recommended as they entirely meet the requirements of large capacity lifting operations. These rope hoists fitted with hooks with safety latch enable entirely safe vertical or horizontal travel for loads of up to 80 tonnes, and for heights of lift from 6 m to 98 m. Their design has generated the delivery of 13 patents. These are the only rope and hook lifting systems on the market integrating in their standard version: the shortest “C” dimensions for the hook and “F” approach distance of the hoist compared with competitive systems, short travel of the block when lifting (lifting is almost centered), together with a travel motor whose speed is variable from 3 to 20 m/min.



A lasting partnership

VERLINDE has already fitted out other facilities of the OCP group, who have thus been able to experience on a practical level the equipment's quality, reliability and availability. These qualities played a decisive role in the allocation of this prestigious contact. The order was placed in October 2014 with commissioning planned for late 2017. This followed another contract between OCP and Verlinde for the supply of 35 EUROBLOC VT2, VT3 and VT4 monorail hoists together with 13 TEC jib cranes designed for the new phosphate conveyance line at the Jorf Lasfar facility in Morocco.

VERLINDE and OCP have thus created a lasting and trusting partnership.

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