The S&B Group has decided to construct a bentonite processing plant in the Nador region of Morocco. The new facility will have a yearly capacity of 150,000 tons and is expected to be completed within 2008. It will belong to the newly formed subsidiary of the Group, S&B Industrial Minerals Morocco S.A.R.L. The total investment is foreseen at Euro 3 million.
This new plant is intended for the initial processing of white bentonite coming from the new Trebia mine, which belongs to the other subsidiary of the S&B Group in Morocco, ΝΑΙΜΕΧ S.A.R.L. (North African Industrial Minerals Exploration S.A.R.L.).
The plant's production will be transported to the newly acquired facility in the port of Neuss in Germany. The Neuss plant was acquired by the S&B Group in July (relevant Press Release of July 17th 2007), in order to produce white bentonite high value-added products in fine and superfine quality. These qualities are used in the strong growth specialty applications, such as paper, paints and detergents production.
The Group -through the NAIMEX subsidiary- owns mining licences for exploration and exploitation of bentonite deposits in Morocco since March 2004 (relevant Press Release of March 29th 2004). Geophysical and geological explorations to date have indicated exploitable white bentonite reserves, while the first mine is already in operation and is providing material to the Neuss plant, after an initial processing carried out in Milos. Explorations continue in order to confirm and verify additional bentonite reserves.
S&B Industrial Minerals Bentonite Division General Manager Mr Kriton Anavlavis stated: "We are very pleased that our efforts over the past five years for worldwide enhancement and expansion of our bentonite reserves and processing facilities continue to bear fruit with the decision to proceed with this new investment. The new reserves and production base in Morocco adds a significant advantage to the already existing ones in Greece, Germany, Bulgaria, Hungary, Georgia and the USA. Construction of this particular plant, combined with the recent investment in Neuss, Germany, constitutes one more link to our 'Market-to-Mine' chain and directly enhances our competitive position in the specialized growing markets of white bentonite, while it provides us with additional growth prospects".