History
While we established the
first fertiliser works in WA back in 1910, we began producing ammonia, nitric acid and ammonium nitrate in relatively recent years. Here is an outline of our key milestones in this area:
1968
CSBP and BP (Australia) formed a joint venture and established the Kwinana Nitrogen Company. The new complex included an ammonia plant, a nitric acid plant, an ammonium nitrate plant and a prilling plant.
Our primary product was nitrogen-based fertiliser, but we also produced porous grade ammonium nitrate for the mining industry, and a range of other ammonia-based industrial chemicals.
1980s
We bought out BP's share of the Kwinana Nitrogen Company and the company became a division of the CSBP group.
1992
Together with Western Mining Coorperation (WMC), we commissioned a 30,000-tonne ammonia import and export terminal in Kwinana to meet the growing demand for ammonia.
1996
We invested $69 million in a new nitric acid and ammonium nitrate production facility, capable of producing 220,000 tonnes of ammonium nitrate every year.
2000
We opened a $150 million ammonia plant to boost our supply of ammonia to our ammonium nitrate business and our customers.
In the same year, we formed Queensland Nitrates with Dyno Nobel Asia Pacific and commissioned a 180,000 tonne plant to produce ammonia, nitric acid and ammonium nitrate in Moura, Queensland.
2008
We invested over $400 million into a new 220,000-tonne nitric acid and ammonium nitrate plant and a 350,000-tonne prill plant to replace our original 1960s facility.
Meanwhile, to support the growing coal industry, Queensland Nitrates completed a major capital expansion to increase plant capacity to 215,000 tonnes of ammonium nitrate per year.
Our production today
In recent years, the growth of WA’s mining industry had created a demand for porous grade ammonium nitrate that was well over our plant’s original capacity.
After continuous expansion of our facilities, we now have annual production capacity of 520,000 tonnes of ammonium nitrate, all of which can be prilled.
Today, we focus on the production of explosives-grade ammonium nitrate for the mining industry.