WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND: Chatham Rock Phosphate Limited has signed a lease over a 22ha site to establish the Korella Phosphate Distribution Hub in Cloncurry.

The Korella Phosphate Distribution Hub matches the requirements for the Korella North Mine with phosphate road-trained to the Hub for handling and onward shipment by road-train for domestic sales and by rail for export through the Port of Townsville.

The 22ha site, owned by logistics company Aurizon, is on Round Oak Road, Cloncurry, accessible by road trains and close to the existing Aurizon Cloncurry Container Terminal.

As announced last year a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between Aurizon and CRP’s wholly-owned Australian subsidiary, Avenir Makatea Pty Ltd, trading as Korella Fertilizers (Korella) to establish a framework for discussing logistical solutions and associated infrastructure investments which Aurizon could provide to support Korella getting its product to market.

Under the MoU, Korella and Aurizon will participate in exclusive discussions for the full pit-to-port logistics solution, including road, rail and ship loading of phosphate rock from Korella North, Korella Central and Korella South (Mines) near Phosphate Hill to Korella’s Round Oak Road Distribution Hub in Cloncurry and onward to the Port of Townsville. This would include provision by Aurizon of terminal and storage services at Korella North, Round Oak Round Distribution Hub Cloncurry, Cloncurry Container terminals, Stuart and Aurizon Port Services terminals at the Port of Townsville.

Under the MoU, this will also include current planning for a rail loading facility to be built at Korella North for bulk loading of 2Mtpa of phosphate from Korella North, Korella Central and Korella South and the establishment of a 5Mtpa bulk phosphate ship loading facility in the Port of Townsville.

With Aurizon’s newly opened Aurizon Port Services facility in the Port of Townsville, the bulk shipments of Korella phosphate can commence.