Orica Yarwun Nitrates Decarbonisation Project

Orica Yarwun Nitrates Decarbonisation Project is an industrial emissions reduction project located in the Yarwun industrial precinct, approximately 9km northwest of Gladstone in Queensland. Registered on March 24, 2022, the project focuses on the Orica Yarwun manufacturing facility, which produces ammonium nitrate and other chemical products for the mining and infrastructure sectors.

This project operates under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative, Industrial and Commercial Emissions Reduction) Methodology Determination 2021. The specific activity involves the installation of tertiary catalyst abatement technology (EnviNOx) on nitric acid plants. This technology decomposes Nitrous Oxide (N2O), a potent greenhouse gas generated as a by-product of nitric acid production, into harmless nitrogen and water. The methodology requires the proponent to demonstrate a reduction in emissions intensity compared to historical baseline levels through these technological upgrades.

The Yarwun facility is situated within the Gladstone State Development Area, a region zoned specifically for heavy industry and major port activities. While the immediate site consists of industrial infrastructure, the broader Central Queensland region is characterized by a sub-tropical climate with summer-dominant rainfall. The surrounding non-industrial landscape typically supports cattle grazing and forestry, with soils ranging from coastal clays to alluvial loams.

A notable aspect of this project is the high global warming potential of the gas being abated; Nitrous Oxide is approximately 265 times more potent than Carbon Dioxide. The project is expected to eliminate approximately 200,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2-e) annually. On February 4, 2025, the project method was varied from the Facilities method to the Industrial and Commercial Emissions Reduction method to align with updated regulatory standards.