Key points
- Chatham Rock Phosphate estimates its offshore New Zealand phosphate recovery will cut annual carbon emissions by 76,000 tonnes compared with importing rock from Morocco.
- The 95 percent emissions reduction is equivalent to taking at least 19,000 petrol-driven vehicles off the roads.
- New Zealand had about 5,000 registered electric vehicles at the time, against a national target of 64,000 by the end of 2021.
- As a slow release fertilizer, Chatham rock phosphate can be applied less frequently, adding further carbon savings while also reducing runoff and cadmium applied to soils.
Chatham Rock Phosphate Ltd. has estimated that its process of recovering rock phosphate from offshore New Zealand will reduce annual carbon emissions by 76,000 tonnes compared with importing the rock from Morocco. This reduction of 95 per cent of the present emission level equates to immediately taking at least 19,000 petrol-driven vehicles off the roads.
This is significant in the context that there are approximately 5,000 electric vehicles registered now and the national target is 64,000 by the end of 2021.
Further carbon emission savings will result when Chatham rock phosphate is applied to the land as, being a slow release fertilizer, it can be applied less frequently.
The other directly beneficial environmental effects of using Chatham rock phosphate, as the company has advized on numerous occasions, are reduced runoff, improved water quality, a healthier soil profile, and much less cadmium being applied to soils.
