/ Potash
Potash, a critical mineral, is a potassium salt that is one of the main three nutrients in fertilizers.
What is Potash?
Potash refers to a group of minerals and chemicals containing potassium, an important ingredient in fertilizer. Potassium is found in every cell of living plants and animals. Potash is an indispensable supplement to the natural nutrient content of soils.
Often soils lack these nutrients, or growing crops have depleted these essential components of life. Potash is safe and non-toxic. Plants, animals, and humans need it to stay healthy and grow.
Mining Potash
Potash is mined from a mineral (sylvinite) which was formed when ancient lakes evaporated, and were later covered or moved underground. Sylvinite contains both KCI (“potash”) and NaCI (normal “salt”).
Potash can be mined by conventional underground mining (people go underground to dig it out), or with solution mining (when water does the job of dissolving the mineral). Our Bethune mine is a solution mine.
Federal Critical Mineral Strategy
Potash has been identified as a Critical Mineral and both Federal and Provincial Strategies
The Canadian Critical Minerals Strategy addresses five core objectives:
- Supporting economic growth, competitiveness, and job creation
- Promoting climate action and environmental protection
- Advancing reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples
- Fostering diverse and inclusive workforces and communities
- Enhancing global security and partnerships with allies
Canada’s approach to critical mineral development will be collaborative. The initiatives presented in this strategy will be implemented and refined with provincial, territorial, Indigenous, industry, and other Canadian and international partners.
Provincial Critical Mineral Strategy
Potash has been identified as a Critical Mineral and both Federal and Provincial Strategies
In 2023, the Government of Saskatchewan launched a critical minerals strategy to drive growth of the sector in the province.
The Saskatchewan Critical Minerals Strategy addresses four core objectives:
- Establish Saskatchewan as a rare earth element hub
- Increase Saskatchewan’s share of Canadian mineral exploration spending to 15 per cent by 2030
- Double the number of critical minerals being produced in Saskatchewan by 2030
- Grow Saskatchewan’s production of potash, uranium and helium