FOSKOR

A VITAL INGREDIENT
Having started out as a single phosphate mining operation in 1951, Foskor has rapidly grown into a reputable and highly profitable producer of phosphate rock concentrate and phosphoric acid. As a result of Foskor's strategic expansion over the years, our primary business shifted from basic mining to the beneficiation of phosphate rock into phosphoric acid and phosphate-based fertilizers. These end products are sold locally and globally.

PHOSPHATE
Phosphate, like water, is essential for life, and is an integral part of our metabolism. Phosphate can be found in virtually all natural foods, such as eggs, milk, maize and meat products. Phosphate is also used in processed products such as fizzy drinks, toothpastes and certain pharmaceuticals.

In the phosphate cycle, plants absorb soluble phosphate from the soil. The plants are eaten by animals and humans and the ingested phosphate is utilized by our bodies. Phosphate in soil can be either "fixed" which is totally insoluble phosphate, or soluble (water and citric acid-soluble). Without the replenishment of phosphates in the soil, all soluble types would be depleted very quickly. Worldwide, soil replenishment is usually done through manual addition of phosphate fertilizers.

Rock phosphate is the raw material used in the manufacturing of phosphate fertilisers, animal feed supplements and industrial chemicals. The starting point of phosphate fertilizers is phosphoric acid, which is produced in Richards Bay by the reaction of concentrated Sulphuric acid with phosphate-bearing rock. A gypsum (CalciumSulphate) by-product is separated from the acid through filtration before it is discharged. The phosphoric acid is then concentrated through vacuum evaporation to its final concentration of 54% P2O5 (74.5% H3PO4). This product acid is sold internationally.

PRODUCTION FACILITIES
Today the Foskor Group comprises three main mining and production facilities in Richards Bay and Phalaborwa. Foskor Richards Bay is located in the KwaZulu-Natal Province of South Africa - an area known for its huge industrial development and harbour export facilities. Foskor Richards Bay primarily produces Phosphoric Acid and Phosphate-based Fertilizers, while also distributing lower volumes of Sulphuric Acid to customers within the South African market.

Foskor Phalaborwa is situatedin the Northern Province (Limpopo) of South Africa. The Phalaborwa region is known for its extensive Phosphate and Copper reserves. The Foskor facilities in this area are focused on the mining and beneficiation of Phosphate rock. Foskor has a percentage of the traded  Phosphoric Acid market share worldwide. Through additional production, Foskor has positioned itself as an internationally significant Phosphoric Acid producer with the potential to become the fourth largest international trader of Phosphoric Acid with a 12% world market share.

STAFF
The Group's focus lies in motivating staff to performto the best of their abilities and transformthe business into a highly competitive world-class company that is a source of pride for all South Africans. Foskor is a strong proponent of the principle of "freedom of association" and through negotiations with employees, has evolved structures for meaningful negotiation and consultation. With these structures and the practice of participative management, an environment has been created in which Foskor's employees make a valuable contribution to the performance of the company.

Over the last two years Foskor has celebrated a consistent achievement of employment equity plus a significant drop in the labour turnover rate in the past four years as well as an increase in the number of employees moving to higher positions in the past three years.

SAFETY, HEALTH, ENVIRONMENT AND QUALITY
Foskor RichardsBay significantly improved its Safety, Health, Radiation, Environment and Quality (SHREQ) performance and contributes to sustainable development outcomes for all stakeholders.
 

One of the key advantages of the establishment of the Foskor Group is that it provides a wider range of expertise on all aspects of the business, including SHREQ Management with its dedicated and committed team. It also gives increased access to expertise and best practices that can be shared across the Foskor Group, creating a faster rate of improvement.

All plants in Richards Bay outperformed the environmental permit emission requirements for the period under review, with the Sulphuric Acid plants achieving in excess of 99.9% compliance compared to the permit requirements of 99.5% for plants A and B and C. The Richards Bay division had three disabling injuries (one for employees and two for contractors), resulting in a DIFR of 0.27% for the financial year ending March 2011. Richards Bay during the annual external DEKRA Audit, retained ISO 14001, ISO 9001, OHSAS 18001, AMS 16001 (HIV/ AIDS) and received a Gold Status (which is the highest accolade achievable) for its SHE Shield System which includes Corporate Governance and Social Responsibility.

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
As an activemember in the immediate environment in which it operates, Foskor acknowledges and accepts its responsibility towards the community. These are some of social responsibility projects that Foskor undertakes:

Homestead Food Gardens Project which trained in access 400 households in sustainable organic agriculture and the principle of permaculture. Each household receiving tools and seeds required to establish a productive organic home food garden.

Tractors Project for Msinga and Nhlangwini Community aimed at assisting numerous subsistence and scale farmers in KwaZulu-Natal by up-skilling them, providing themwith farming advisory services as well as supporting the land fertilization program.

The Dinaledi Schools project, an initiative started by the Department of Education, recognizes schools that excel in Math and Science and promote their abilities to potential funding from the private sector. Foskor's objective for the project is to develop a sustainable CSI project which assists the Department of Education in addressing the current skills shortage in Math and Science. Foskor invested in Science Equipment for Khula and Dover High School to the value of R100 000 for each school.

Ntambanana Housing Project, five fully furnished houses have been built for widowed and orphaned families. Ntanbanana Municipality is one of the poorest municipalities amongst Zululand local communities.

Business Against Crime initiatives in the northern KwaZulu-Natal area.

 

MISSION
Foskor will continue to earn the respect of all its stakeholders by being internationally competitive in the beneficiation of phosphates.We will do this through continuing our heritage of creating value and profit, by meeting challenge with determination, responsibility and sustainability.

VISION
Foskor is internationally respected for competing with determination in the profitable and responsible beneficiation of phosphates to the sustained benefit of all our stakeholders.