Australia BCI Minerals has commenced operations at Mardie salt, potash project

HOUSTON (ICIS)–Australian BCI Minerals announced it has commenced operations at its Mardie salt and potash project after receiving all necessary Western Australian and Commonwealth government environmental approvals.

It has begun filling evaporation ponds 1, 2, and 3 with BCI Minerals set to update and resubmit its groundwater monitoring and management plan (GMMP) for further approval before filling evaporations ponds 4 through 9.

Construction of the salt-first component of the project is over halfway completed with it expected the company will achieve first salt on ship in Q2 2027.

Located 80km south of Karratha, in the Pilbara region, Mardie is anticipated to produce 5.35 million tonnes/year of high-quality industrial salt for export and 140,000 tonnes/year of sulphate of potash (SOP). It has an operating life expected to exceed 60 years.

“Australia hasn’t developed a salt project of this significance in 25 years, and the Mardie Project will be Australia’s largest solar salt project and the third largest globally,” said David Boshoff, BCI Minerals managing director.

“With the projected growth in demand for high grade industrial salt in our target Asian markets, BCI Minerals is strongly positioned to supply global markets with Mardie salt for generations.”