PERTH (miningweekly.com) – The Western Australian Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) last week approved the development of the CBH Kwinana fertilizer project.
The project involves the construction of a dedicated liquid urea ammonia nitrate pipeline on the existing Kwinana Grain Terminal jetty, crossing the shoreline and running underground to storage tanks within the proposed onshore facility.
EPA chairperson Professor Matthew Tonts said the proponent had applied measures to the project to avoid potential impacts to the marine environmental quality of Cockburn Sound, including implementing pipeline transfer mechanisms to ships that would prevent spills and detect leaks.
“Construction of the pipeline will be undertaken on the existing Kwinana Grain Terminal jetty, avoiding disturbance of the benthic marine environment,” Tonts said.
“The onshore facility has been designed to ensure any areas where there is potential for spills and leaks are bunded or on hardstand areas and directed to lined drainage basins.”
The EPA also noted the shipment schedule of liquid urea ammonia nitrate was up to just six per year.
The facility will comprise three liquid urea ammonium nitrate storage tanks with a total capacity of 48 000 t, a shed for the storage of up to 80 000 t of dry fertiliser, water management infrastructure including swales and a 3 000 m3 evaporation pond, hardstand areas including access roads, truck washdown bays, a site office and amenities, and weighbridges.