Raw materials are the beginning of many value chains
Our plant nutrients help to secure food for the world's growing population. Our pharmaceutical salts are important for health. Our dietary supplement salts provide people and animals with essential minerals. Our industrial products make a significant contribution to safety, progress, and prosperity worldwide.
In the following, we present our value chain in the potash and magnesium products and salt business segments, which covers the following six categories: exploration, production, logistics, distribution/marketing, and application.
| Exploration | The exploration of potash and rock salt deposits underground is carried out worldwide primarily through drilling and seismic measurements, which enable a spatial representation of the geological structures underground. Exploration provides information about the extent and structure of the deposit as well as the thickness and content of the valuable substances. This provides extensive data for the calculation of reserves in accordance with international standards, from the raw materials to the application of the products. |
| Mining |
We extract raw materials in conventional mining underground and above ground as well as through brining (brine mining). We also use the power of the sun to extract salt by evaporating salty water, usually seawater. Thanks to largely comparable mining methods, synergies can be achieved between the potash and magnesium products and salt business segments. This concerns the exchange of technical, geological and logistical know-how as well as the coordinated procurement of machinery and auxiliary materials. |
| Production | The processing and refinement of raw materials is one of our core competencies. Some of the mineral crude salts we mine undergo multi-stage mechanical or physical processes without changing their natural properties. |
| Logistics |
Our supply chain management controls, checks and monitors the entire supply chain to ensure reliable worldwide delivery to our customers at competitive conditions. We make the best possible use of the various modes of transport, taking into account their individual advantages and, as far as possible, the more environmentally friendly and economical rail and waterways. |
| Sales/Marketing | K+S wants to be the preferred partner of its customers. High product quality and reliability are decisive prerequisites for this. We offer a comprehensive range of services for agriculture, industry, public customers and private consumers. We strive to be as close as possible to our customers, have many tailor-made products and are active worldwide with our efficient and customer-oriented distribution network. |
| Applications | Our customers use our products, use our raw materials in their processes or process them in their products. We provide comprehensive product information and advise our customers on the use of our products. |
