Purpose and Need

The purpose of GSL’s proposed expansion is to help us meet the needs of our agricultural customers over the next 50 years. Sulfate of potash is a specialty fertilizer that is high in potassium and sulfur and extremely low in chlorides. It improves the yield and quality of high-value crops such as fruits, vegetables, nuts and turf grasses without the harmful effects to these crops’ root systems that can result from usage of standard potash, which has higher chloride content.

As world population and consumption of fruits and vegetables grow, the attendant need to increase production on existing agricultural lands results in a greater need to replenish soil nutrients. In turn, worldwide demand for fertilizers, including SOP, has grown at an annual rate of 2-3 percent per year. Currently 6.5 million tons of potassium sulfate fertilizers are produced worldwide. GSL’s current production capacity is 450,000 tons, or about 7 percent of the world market. Great Salt Lake Minerals Corporation is the only producer of SOP fertilizer within the United States. In order to help meet future demand without falling behind other producers, GSL’s production of SOP must rise to more than 1 million tons over the next 50 years.

GSL currently does not have the capability to produce SOP fertilizer in sufficient quantities to meet future worldwide demand for this product. The proposed expansion of the solar ponds will significantly increase our ability to meet projected demand.