Major Australian manufacturer Orica is poised to achieve a significant decarbonisation milestone by implementing tertiary abatement technology at its Yarwun facility in Gladstone, Queensland, aiming to eliminate an estimated 200,000 tonnes of CO2-e annually.
The installation of two tertiary abatement reactors at the Yarwun manufacturing facility will cut approximately 50 per cent of the facility’s total greenhouse gas emissions—equivalent to taking 120,000 cars off the road, Orica said in an ASX announcement.
The project is expected to reduce Australia’s overall industrial chemical sector emissions by four per cent and Queensland’s emissions for the same sector by about 16 per cent.
The first reactor at Yarwun was installed safely, on time, and on budget earlier this year, Orica noted.
The second reactor is in the final stages of commissioning and is expected to be operational by the end of September.
This follows the successful implementation of similar technology at Orica’s Kooragang Island facility in New South Wales, which is projected to reduce Australia’s chemical industry emissions by 11 per cent.
To commemorate these milestones, Federal Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen and Orica Managing Director and CEO Sanjeev Gandhi, along with other officials, attended a ceremony in Gladstone.
Gandhi emphasised Orica’s commitment to sustainability, saying, “This milestone highlights Orica’s commitment to sustainability, to supporting our customers in achieving their sustainability goals, and to our long-term support of the local Gladstone region.”
Gandhi also acknowledged the role of federal safeguard reforms in providing the investment certainty needed to extend Orica’s decarbonisation strategy.
He remarked, “This outcome demonstrates how the right policy settings can enable key corporate commitments and result in significant emissions reductions, even across hard-to-abate sectors.”
Orica’s Yarwun facility supplies essential products to mining, agriculture, and infrastructure customers in Australia and globally.
The new tertiary abatement technology will offer customers lower carbon-intensive products, aiding in the reduction of their Scope 3 emissions while supporting regional decarbonisation goals.
Orica has made substantial investments to reduce its net operational Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions, achieving a 22 per cent reduction from 2019 baseline levels by FY2023.
Additionally, Orica is a strategic partner and shareholder in the nearby Alpha HPA manufacturing operations, which produces ultra-high purity aluminium materials for various industries, including lithium-ion batteries and LED lighting.
For more information on Orica’s sustainability efforts, visit orica.com/sustainability.
