BUILDING WHAT COMES NEXT
Tunnel vision – Anglo American’ s record-breaking 37-km route will link the polyhalite mine in North Yorkshire to the Tees Valley.
WOODSMITH
TO THE WORLD
Teesside tunnelling to global food security
Anglo American is currently developing the Woodsmith Project – a polyhalite mine that will make the UK one of the world’ s largest fertiliser producers.
Linking Tees Valley and North Yorkshire by a record-breaking 37km underground tunnel, the mine has been designed to be sensitive to its environment – setting a new standard for how mines are designed and operated in the 21st century.
Currently being constructed in the North York Moors National Park, Woodsmith is a major local employer with 1,000 people currently working on the project, of whom 450 are from Tees Valley.
The Woodsmith Project represents a significant feat of engineering, with 1,600-metre deep mine shafts providing access to the world’ s largest known polyhalite ore body.
Once operational, the mine will have a full production capacity of around 13 million tonnes per year.
The polyhalite will be transported through the underground tunnel to a materials handling facility at Wilton International, before being shipped to global markets via a purpose-built port facility on the River Tees.
Polyhalite is a naturally occurring mineral which is unique in containing four of the six key nutrients required for healthy plant growth – sulphur, potassium, magnesium and calcium – and is certified for organic use, reducing environmental harm by limiting emissions and supporting healthier, more resilient soils
A decade’ s worth of global trials has confirmed that Anglo American’ s polyhalite product, POLY4, significantly improves crop yields by 3-5 % compared to conventional fertiliser practice across a wide range of crops, soils and environments as well as improving soil health while reducing inputs for farmers and fitting into sustainable farming practices.
Anglo American has also recently entered into a strategic investment agreement with Mitsubishi Corporation to support continued progress of Woodsmith.
Together, Anglo American and Mitsubishi will explore opportunities to build out additional demand for POLY4 in key markets, leveraging Mitsubishi’ s extensive networks and partnerships across the food and agriculture sectors.
Tom McCulley, CEO of Anglo American’ s Crop Nutrients business, said:“ This is fantastic news for the Woodsmith project.
“ We are delighted that Mitsubishi has shown such confidence in the enormous potential of Woodsmith and the global market for our highly effective POLY4 fertiliser product.”
The project is continuing to have a significant, positive impact in the local economy, reinforcing its role as a major driver of local economic growth, employment and community investment.
Since construction began in 2017, Woodsmith has already added £ 1.94bn to the regional economy and generated £ 34m of social investment to support local communities.
Initiatives such as the Thriving Communities Programme – focused on health, education and livelihoods – and the Woodsmith Foundation support local community projects across the region. Head of social performance Matt Parsons said:“ We are incredibly proud of the investment we put into our local communities, not just financially but in terms of wider support for groups who need it most, like young people across our areas of Tees Valley and North Yorkshire.
“ Our education programme, Achieve, delivered jointly with the Woodsmith Foundation, is an excellent example of our ambition to create lasting change. It demonstrates that with considered and consistent support we can protect and nurture the potential of the next generation.
“ By giving young people skills, confidence and support they need, we’ re not just creating opportunities for them now, but helping to build a brighter future for the region.”
Anglo American’ s Woodsmith Project will help the UK to become a major global fertiliser producer, driving growth, creating high-value jobs and generating large-scale exports, while supporting its role as a leader in sustainable food production – one of the most pressing challenges facing the world today.
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