Here’s why the planned Jansen potash mine could be the greenest one built in 50 years
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.”
Do you have a story idea or news tip? Email us.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.