Operations and Technology
Advanced beneficiation. Precision engineering. World-class standards.
At IDMI's beneficiation plant in Eshidiya, southern Jordan, low-grade phosphate ore is processed into high-grade concentrate at an initial production capacity of 2 million tonnes per year. The plant operates under a 20-year BOOT (Build, Own, Operate,Transfer) agreement with the Jordan Phosphate Mines Company (JPMC), and produces concentrate in three grades — Premium-Grade, High-Grade, and Standard-Grade — all meeting stringent moisture and fines specifications.
Located in the Ma'an Governorate of southern Jordan, approximately 300 km southeast of Amman and 125 km northeast of Aqaba, the Eshidiya site is strategically positioned for efficient concentrate export via JPMC's established road transport network to the Red Sea port.
In cooperation with Metso
To uphold best-in-class operations and ensure continuous reliability, IDMI has partnered with Metso — the renowned Finnish leader in industrial equipment, process engineering, and plant services. Within the beneficiation facility, Metso experts provide dedicated support, ensuring:
Global standards in uptime and throughput
Continuous training and performance optimization
Robust safety and environmental procedures
From ore to concentrate: the beneficiation process
Eshidiya’s phosphate reserves rank among the purest globally, with exceptionally low impurity levels that make the ore ideal for beneficiation into high‑grade concentrate.
Raw ore is screened at 50 mm at the Eshidiya mine by JPMC, after which the -50 mm material is delivered to the IDMI plant for processing.
The beneficiation process involves scrubbing, grinding, classification, flotation, and thickening and filtration. The wet product is then dried and dispatched via an automated storage and loadout system.
1- Scrubbing
Removes impurities such as clay and silica using water.
2- Grinding
Reduces ore to the desired particle size for mineral liberation.
3- Classification
Segregates particles based on size.
4- Flotation
Upgrades ore quality through a surface chemistry-based separation process.
5- Thickening & Filtration
Recovers water for reuse; sludge is directed to the slime pond, while filtered concentrate is sent to the yard.
6- Drying
Reduces product moisture to below 3%.
7- Storage and dispatch
Final concentrate is stored in silos and dispatched via automated truck-loading systems to JPMC.
Digitally Integrated from Plant to Board
The entire plant is integrated with a Distributed Control System (DCS), which interfaces with Oracle Fusion ERP CMMS for real-time operations monitoring, cost analysis, productivity tracking, maintenance planning, and financial reporting — providing complete operational visibility at every level of the organization.
Laboratory & Quality Assurance
IDMI maintains an in-house, state-of-the-art laboratory for real-time quality assurance, alongside a dedicated metallurgical lab to support process optimization and continuous performance improvement.