Here’s why the planned Jansen potash mine could be the greenest one built in 50 years

Saskatoon -

A BHP executive says the potash produced by the nascent Jansen mine will help the company’s decarbonization efforts.

“BHP is quite old and has a heritage going back, possibly more than 140 years and I think, in a general sense we see this opportunity with potash to change the makeup of the way the company looks and feels,” Giles Hellyer, vice president of potash operations, said in an interview.

“This is the opportunity to explore a new commodity, a brand new commodity, which we don't do very often, that is more aligned with global megatrends around rising populations and food security.

“So, for decarbonization of course, this is also a product which is quite different to other commodities. It's aligned to a decarbonizing world so it offers great exposure to what we term as a future-facing commodity.”

The company announced on Tuesday it will spend $7.5 billion to build the mine. It’s expected to produce 4.35 million tonnes of potash per year with ore extraction starting in 2027 with a two-year ramp-up period. It is BHP’s first foray into the potash industry.

BHP aims to reduce operational greenhouse gas emissions by 30 per cent from 2020 levels by 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.

“It’s a challenge, but it’s one we’re up for. But you don’t get that chance every day that there’s something like this with Jansen from day one and that’s why we’re just so excited,” Hellyer said.

Potash, a form of potassium, is fundamental to crop production and enables sustained growth - and crops in turn absorb carbon from the atmosphere, he said.

“It’s just unfortunate, of course, that probably you can’t grow enough and other forms of agriculture to take in the growing carbon … It's the production of that which is important to us.”

Hellyer said Jansen is one of the most significant and largest conventional underground mines that has been built in 50 years, which is an opportunity to use modern technology to decarbonize the mine.

For example, most underground equipment will be electrified from day one - and BHP plans to get there completely by the early 2030s. In addition, modern processing technology requires less energy, he said.

The company is contemplating the possibilities of capturing energy to reduce the energy consumption required and carbon capture and storage.

“There's just so many amazing things going on. I mean we've got a really talented workforce here in Saskatchewan, that have been helping us to design Jansen in a way that's really tremendously exciting.

“There's so much new technology we're introducing that increases the efficiency of the operation, and that in itself allows less equipment to be used.”

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