CPG-GCT : TUNISIAN PHOSPHATE INDUSTRY - INDUSTRIE PHOSPHATIERE TUNISIENNE

Fifty years of experience in the development of phosphate ore

Following many years of raw phosphate exporting, the Tunisian government undertook to process phosphate ore and to exploit it in a more profitable oriented way.

This brought to the creation of a domestic industry for phosphoric acid and fertilizer production, eventually resulting in the Groupe Chimique Tunisien (GCT), which is the result of the merger and absorption of some five companies occurring between 1952 and 1992 as indicated in the following table :

1952	Startup of TSP plant in SFAX under the name of SIAPE
1972	Startup of Acid (MGA) plant in GABES under the name of ICM
1979	Startup of the DAP plant in GABES under the name of SAEPA
1983	Startup of the AN plant by SAEPA
1985	Startup of ENGRAIS DE GABES (EG) for the production of DAP in GABES Creation of Industrie Chimique de GAFSA (ICG) for TSP production at M'DHILLA
1988	Creation of the SKHIRA plant for the production of Phosphoric Acid and MGA
1989	Absorption of ICM, EG and ICG by SIAPE
1992	Merger of SIAPE and SAEPA and creation therefore of GCT
1994	Merger of Chairmanship of CPG and GCT by appointing a single common Chairman and General Manager
1996	Merger of commercial structures of CPG and GCT.

This merger has enabled the phosphate sector to assume an outstanding place in the Tunisian economy by providing direct employment for about 4300 people and by trade balancing. Indirect employment profited equally in as much as rail and sea transport and subcontracting were boosted.

The industrial facilities described above have contributed in a considerable way in the promotion and development of southern Tunisia. Concurrently with the development of this industry and in order to go along the strictest national and international regulations in the field of environment protection, GCT has launched a vast program against pollution within all its production sites in order to contain atmospheric and solid wastes.