(Ecofin Agency) - Emmerson Plc has incorporated a new treatment method into its environmental and social impact study for the Khemisset project, halving water consumption. With Morocco facing increased drought, the company hopes to quickly secure the government’s approval.

Moroccan authorities have yet to approve the environmental impact management plans for the Khemisset potash project. Recently, Emerson Plc, the project’s owner, amended these plans, optimizing the treatment process at the mine. The changes helped cut the project’s water consumption by 50%.

The optimization eliminates the need for brine use on-site and improves the project's economic prospects. More importantly, it addresses concerns about water usage amid increased drought. Morocco has faced severe droughts in recent years, with the period from 2019 to 2022 being the driest since the 1960s.

"In 2023, our main goal was to obtain environmental approval, and that remains our priority at present [...]. We have updated our environmental assessment to incorporate these optimizations and submitted the document in April 2024," said CEO Graham Clarke. Emmerson, he added, waits for the Unified Regional Investment Commission to approve the new plans.

Emmerson Plc has tasked a consortium of Moroccan and international banks with helping it raise $310 million in financing for the project. The company has not provided a new timeline for Khemisset's development, but once in production, the mine is expected to deliver over 700,000 tonnes of potash annually over a 19-year lifespan. Initially, the firm planned to kick off the project in 2023.