WA Works’ latest Major Projects List confirms that the rebound in new project construction is spreading well beyond the familiar turf of Pilbara iron ore and gas production.
The seven new listings identified for the summer issue – out this week – include a gas proposal, but the others are a mixed bag of lithium processing, power generation, copper mining and potash fertiliser.
The value of the new projects amounts to $5.4 billion, but this excludes Chevron’s yet-to-be costed Clio-Acme project in the Pilbara.
Though relatively modest by Chevron’s standards, Clio-Acme could become a landmark project, as the stranded offshore field containing more than 4 trillion cubic feet of gas is likely to be developed by sharing infrastructure with other gas owners, including Woodside.
The proposal gained traction in November when the Woodside-operated North West Shelf (NWS) Joint Venture signed a non-binding agreement with Chevron for processing the gas through the NWS Karratha facilities.
Meanwhile, Albemarle and Mineral Resources are proposing to go further downstream at Wodgina, which is currently commissioning its $600 million lithium concentrate plant.
Following Albemarle’s recent $1.6b purchase of 50 per cent of Wodgina, the partners unveiled plans to build a two-stage lithium hydroxide facility eventually producing up to 100,000 tonnes per annum of the sought-after battery-making chemical.
Another chemical product – sulphate of potash (SOP) fertiliser – is also making giant steps as five ASX-listed companies race to develop the state’s first SOP production facility. With a combined value of more than $1.2 billion, the projects have the potential to create about 1000 construction and operational jobs.
► Read the full story and access the exclusive Major Projects List in the latest edition of WA Works, a premier source of supply chain and major project news.
