CBH to build UAN storage facility in Western Australia

Western Australian grain logistics firm CBH announced today that it has started constructing a granular and liquid fertilizer urea ammonia nitrate (UAN) storage facility next to its Kwinana grain terminal.

The 70,000m² facility will include an UAN ship unloading and transfer pipeline, which will run along the existing Kwinana grain terminal jetty, and around 55,000t of granular fertilizer storage in a new warehouse. The facility will also have 32,000t of UAN storage in two 16,000t storage tanks.

Construction of the UAN storage tanks will be completed first, scheduled for 2023.

"This new phase of growth will see the business enter the liquid fertilizer market for the first time and expand its granular fertilizer offering to provide consistency of supply and deliver on our strategy to reduce on-farm input costs for Western Australian grain growers," said CBH chief executive officer Ben Macnamara.

CBH received over 21mn t from growers during the 2021-22 harvest, with volume records still being broken as the harvest draws to a close.

"We've seen demand for fertilizer, particularly UAN, grow exponentially in recent years, with the existing market struggling to keep pace during key times," said CBH head of fertilizer David Pritchard.

By Aabha Gandhi