$1b explosives Plant for Western Australia

Incitec Pivot has announced plans to revisit plans to construct a $1 billion explosives plant in Western Australia.

The company confirms that a pre-feasibility study has already begun on the 350 000 tonne per annum ammonium nitrate plant in the Burrup Peninsula, with applications now submitted to the Government.

Buoyed by the resurgence of the West Australian mining industry, the company plans to begin plant construction in 2012, and to produce nitrate by 2014. The start of the pre-feasibility study follows the restart of Incitec’s previously stalled Moranbah ammonium nitrate plant, which is expected to commence production next month.

The exact cost and employment numbers for the Burrup plant is not yet known.

Incitec and Orica currently supply half of the explosives used in the Pilbara region.