Koch clears EU review for 50% stake in OCP phosphate plant

The European Commission has approved Koch’s planned purchase of a 50% stake in Jorf Fertilizers Company I (JFC1), a plant at Jorf Lasfar in north-western Morocco owned by OCP Nutricrops. Once the deal closes, Koch and OCP Nutricrops will share control of the company.

The commission announced its approval on October 30 under case number M.12624. It said the joint venture would have a negligible presence in the European Economic Area, so it raised no competition concerns. The approval removes one regulatory hurdle, but the transfer of shares has not been completed, and other contractual and legal conditions remain.

JFC1 has annual capacity of 1.2 million tons of phosphate fertilizers, mainly diammonium phosphate (DAP) and monoammonium phosphate (MAP). Its sales reached 857,600 tons in 2025, compared with 291,000 tons in 2024. The sales figures are for the company’s accounts and are not necessarily equal to plant output.

The two groups announced the agreement on July 17, 2026. They have not disclosed the price, the plant’s total value or how the deal will be financed.

The clearance is the latest step in a deal that entered regulatory review earlier this summer.

Source: 7NEWS Morocco