Orica eliminates one million tonnes of GHG emissions

Orica has announced the elimination of one million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions from its Kooragang Island site in Newcastle. The significant emissions reduction is the result of what the company says is an Australian-first deployment of tertiary abatement technology on three nitric acid plants.

To facilitate the project, the NSW Government’s Net Zero Industry and Innovation Program co-invested $13.06 million, together with Orica’s $25 million financed by the federal government’s Clean Energy Finance Corporation. The Clean Energy Regulator also approved the project as eligible to generate Australian Carbon Credit Units.

Orica has also completed the installation of similar technology at its Yarwun manufacturing plant in Queensland. This installation has continued to build on the progress delivered in FY2024, with global emissions already reduced by 43% from 2019 baseline levels, according to the company.

“This is another proud and critical milestone in Orica’s decarbonisation journey and ambition to achieve net zero emissions by latest 2050,” said Germán Morales, Orica Group Executive and President Australia Pacific and Sustainability. “Sustainability is at the core of our purpose and this milestone highlights our ongoing commitment to supporting our customers in achieving their sustainability goals and our long-term support of the Hunter region while also supporting government decarbonisation ambitions. It also shows the power of partnership when private business and government work together.”

To celebrate the achievement, NSW Minister for Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Heritage, Penny Sharpe, CEO of the Clean Energy Finance Corporation, Ian Learmonth and Orica Group Executive and President Australia Pacific and Sustainability, Germán Morales attended a ceremony at Kooragang Island.

Orica Kooragang Island has also completed other significant milestones over the past 12 months to create more sustainable operations including celebrating 10 years of recycled water usage and the installation of a prill tower scrubber, reducing ammonium nitrate particle emissions by 95%.

Orica is also continuing to evaluate the viability of a potential commercial-scale renewable hydrogen supply chain in the industrial and port zone of Newcastle to further decarbonise future operations.

Image: L-R: Sharon Claydon, Ian Learmonth, German Morales, Penny Sharpe, and Tim Crakanthorp.