Overview
Verdant Minerals Ltd has referred a proposed action that comprises alterations to the Ammaroo Phosphate Project, approximately 200km south-east of Tennant Creek and 300km north-east of Alice Springs, Northern Territory. In 2018, the NT EPA completed its assessment of the Ammaroo Phosphate Project under the Environmental Assessment Act 1982 and issued Assessment Report 87. The original project involved mining and beneficiation of ore to produce phosphate rock concentrate.
The proposed action involves the development of downstream processing facilities for production of ammonium phosphate fertilisers from the phosphate rock concentrate onsite, requiring the construction of a phosphoric acid plant, sulfuric acid plant, ammonia plant, granulation plant, and changes to amenity, storage, export/import and service infrastructure. The alterations will require importation of 500,000 tonnes per year of elemental sulfur through Port of Darwin, natural gas use to 8.7 petajoules per year, and an expanded borefield to supply an extra 3.9 gigalitres per year of groundwater.
Read more information about the referral on the environmental impact assessment register for the Ammaroo Ammonium Phosphate Fertiliser Project.