Incitec Pivot Fertilisers (IPF) has debuted its new and improved fertiliser import and distribution facility following significant investment.
The upgraded facility, located in Portland, Victoria, was subject to a $20 million investment from the company to upgrade its storage capacity and operational efficiency.
The official opening was attended by Incitec Pivot Fertilisers president Scott Bowman, IPF customers, key agriculture figures and growers.
“The upgraded facility can now blend up to 300 tonnes of fertiliser per hour, increasing output and ensuring customers across Victoria and South Australia receive product promptly,” Bowman said.
“It will not only enhance supply to the local and domestic market, but ensure customers have access to customised formulations that provide exact nutrients needed for maximum yield and more environmentally sustainable outcomes.
“As part of IPF’s commitment to helping drive increased productivity and sustainability for farmers, Portland has now been equipped with more efficient technology.
“This will enable the application of coatings to produce Enhanced Efficiency Fertilisers (EEFs) such as Green Urea NV and eNpower, which can help reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by up to 70 per cent in some scenarios.”
IPF has a major market share as a fertiliser supplier on Australia’s East Coast which makes the Portland facility “strategically important” to the company.
The site currently distributes more than 200,000 tonnes of fertiliser per annum which IPF expects to grow further in line with the forecasted increases in Australian crop production.
The Portland facility began as a fertiliser manufacturing plant after being commissioned on November 24, 1968. Cresco Fertilisers, which opened the site, was later sold to Pivot in 1972. In the intervening years, IPF has transformed the site from a manufacturing facility to an import and distribution facility for fertiliser.
“IPF’s investment in the Portland facility is part of our strategy to deliver productivity benefits for growers through innovation and provision of high-quality products,” Bowman said.
“It also demonstrates IPF’s dedication to rural and regional Australia.”