Orica to decarbonise Kooragang Island manufacturing plant

Chemicals and explosives business Orica is to invest $37 million to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at its Kooragang Island, Newcastle manufacturing operation by 48 per cent.

The facility includes an ammonia plant, three nitric acid plants, two ammonium nitrate plants and a product dispatch facility and is one of Orica’s key manufacturing sites.

The company plans to utilise an Australian industry first tertiary catalyst abatement technology EnviNOx at its high-pressure nitric acid manufacturing plants.

The tertiary catalyst abatement technology is designed to deliver up to 95 per cent abatement efficiency, with commissioning in 2023.

Nitrous oxide, generated as a by-product of nitric acid production, is the primary source of GHG emissions at the Kooragang Island facility.

However Orica uses natural gas feedstock for its ammonia and ammonium nitrate explosive production at the site.

The Kooragang Island Decarbonisation Project is supported by a $13 million grant from the New South Wales government Net Zero Industry and Innovation Program.

Orica’s $24 million outlay has been financed by a 5-year debt facility provided by the Clean Energy Finance Corporation.

The Clean Energy Regulator has also approved the project as eligible to generate Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs).

Picture: Orica/Kooragang Island

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