One of the world's largest and most modern potash plants near Magdeburg

After the political changes in 1989, the plant was privatized and has belonged to the K+S Group since the potash merger at the end of 1993 - the merger of the East and West German potash industries.

Due to its diverse product range, Zielitz is an important K+S production site. The rich deposits are among the most valuable in Germany due to their high potassium chloride content and their thickness.

With crude salt production of about 12 million tonnes per year, it is one of the largest and most modern potash plants in the world.

Every year, Zielitz produces about 1.9 million tonnes of saleable end products from the raw material, i.e. potash fertilizers (potassium chloride 60%), potassium chloride 99% for industrial applications and products in food (KaliSel) and feed quality (KaSa K99®), which are shipped worldwide. The Zielitz potash plant therefore generates considerable added value.

Find out about the routes the potash takes and from where the potash plant's fortunes are guided. You can take four different routes through the plant to learn more about the individual buildings and their purpose:

As a partner to the region, the plant regularly commissions supplies and services to companies in the surrounding area, therefore providing the economic basis for numerous regional jobs. The potash production contributes stable added value to the region and makes the plant an important partner for the surrounding communities and their population. The site's social commitment involves social institutions, associations, and clubs in the region, with a focus on promoting regional youth sports.

Our products are certified according to international standards and norms. Here you can find our latest certificates.

As a certified waste management company, REKS offers solutions in the areas of waste management, covering of potash tailings piles as well as complete services for the recycling of aluminum slag containing salt.

Our two underground waste disposal sites at Herfa-Neurode and Zielitz are the safest place for severely contaminated waste that cannot be recycled. With almost 50 years of experience, we are now able to dispose of a wide range of hazardous waste from various industries.

In the abandoned mine fields of our potash mines, we optimally utilize the geological conditions for the permanent and safe disposal of your waste at depths of approx. 500 to 800 meters. Far below the groundwater level, sealed gas-tight by salt rock up to 300 meters thick and additionally insulated by further water-blocking layers, people as well as the environment are safe from these wastes well into the future. In Zielitz, packaged waste can be delivered not only in trucks but also in sea containers.

Many mineral substances can be recovered underground. We deposit this waste in the cavities once created during the extraction of potash and rock salt, where raw materials are no longer mined. We support the pillars between the mining chambers and in this way not only utilize the waste as a resource, but at the same time ensure safety in mining. In around 25 years of underground recovery, we have developed numerous proprietary processes for utilizing the material properties of less contaminated waste, and are constantly working on new processes and techniques to recover even more waste.

At the Zielitz site, pneumatically conveyable material is handled in above-ground silos and filled into plastic bags via an automatic packing machine. After the bags have been stacked in a transport container, the container is taken underground and the material is moved to the backfill site. The resulting area is covered with rock salt.