Pilbara

Yara Pilbara is the Western Australian division of Yara International, the world’s leading fertiliser company and a provider of environmental solutions.

Yara's core business is creating fertilisers to boost agricultural output and food production.

We support 20 million farmers around the world with crop nutrition products and advice. Our fertiliser products help feed 300 million people. 

We also produce industrial products based around nitrogen to protect the environment through reducing emissions, treating water, controlling odour and preventing corrosion.

Founded in 1905 to solve emerging famine in Europe, Yara has a worldwide presence stretching far beyond the Pilbara, with more than 16,000 employees and sales to more than 160 countries.

The Yara Pilbara Fertilisers plant is one of the largest ammonia production sites in the world. Our operations produce an average 840,000MT of ammonia annually, representing about 5% of the global traded market.

The main use for our ammonia is in the production of fertiliser to help feed the world. As well as fertilisers, ammonia is commonly used in household and industrial cleaners, as well as a refrigerant, for water purification, and in the manufacture of plastics and textiles.  Learn more from our fact sheet Learn more here. 

Yara Pilbara ammonia is shipped from the Port of Dampier to countries including Taiwan, Thailand, Korea and Japan. In July 2021, we exported our 10 millionth tonne of ammonia from the Pilbara.

10 million tonnes of ammonia could produce enough fertiliser to provide crop nutrition for over 3.5 times Australia’s arable land.

The Yara Pilbara Technical Ammonium Nitrate (TAN) plant takes some of the ammonia from our adjacent operations and through further downstream processing converts it to a product which is critical to Western Australia’s most valuable industry – iron ore mining.

The plant is a joint venture with Orica – a global leader in mining and civil services. Orica is responsible for marketing the product.

The plant has the capacity to produce 400,000 tonnes annually. Our TAN is produced as a prill, a small granule or bead, and is transported to site in bulk containers or bags. It can also be used in liquid form.

TAN is a major ingredient used for blasting in the mining industry, quarrying and civil works. The product from our plant, in its pure form, is not an explosive and it is not flammable.

Along with our joint venture partner Orica we have recently undertaken $109 million in works to help ensure that the plant will operate at capacity, in line with all regulations and our high safety and reliability standards.

PROJECT YURI

Renewable hydrogen is one of the world’s most promising fuel sources for vehicles and a variety of industrial uses.  Increased hydrogen use would reduce the dependence on fossil fuels.

We are partnering with international energy company ENGIE to develop a hydrogen-to-ammonia plant integrated with the Yara Pilbara Fertilisers plant.

The plant, powered by renewable sources,  would be based on a solar field with an anticipated capacity of 23 MW and an electrolysis system of around 10 MW.

The Yara Pilbara / Engie project has received support from the Western Australian and Federal Governments and the renewable hydrogen plant is expected to start production in 2023. In the first stage it will produce 625 tonnes of renewable hydrogen and 3700 tonnes of green ammonia a year – with production then ramping up in phases.

With our existing supply chain, the plant has the potential to build a new export industry for the Pilbara and Australia and is a key initiative in Yara International’s global commitment to decarbonise operations by 2050 .

Our project also has strong support from the Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation, which represents the traditional owners of the area. 

At Yara Pilbara our operations are staffed 24 hours a day by highly trained operators and technicians.  We foster a culture that promotes the safety of our employees, contractors, and the community in which we operate.

We are guided by the values that are part of the Yara DNA and they shape our behaviour and approach.

Yara Pilbara is committed to the professional and personal development of our team and provides ongoing training and career enhancement opportunities. We have also created successful apprenticeship, indigenous trainee and graduate programmes to provide opportunities for young people entering the workforce.

OUR STORIES

Yara Pilbara has 220 residential Karratha-based employees and contractors and we have spent $50 million building more than 100 homes in the local community.

We are a talented and committed team. The people of Yara Pilbara have diverse backgrounds and life experiences.

MEET ADITI

MEET LAURENT

Health, Environment, Safety and Quality are Yara’s top priorities and we are committed to running our operations to comply with all local licensing and regulatory requirements and our own rigorous global standards.

Our parent company, Yara International, has more than 110 years of operating experience. Yara's systems, technical standards and expertise underpin our plant's safety management systems, controls and procedures.

Globally Yara is one of the most energy efficient companies in the chemical and fertiliser industry, successfully reducing our greenhouse gas emissions by more than 45%.

We continue to invest significant effort and funds into making our plants even safer and our people even more competent and better equipped. We strive for best practice in health and safety management and are committed to instilling a culture focused on continuous improvement and HESQ sustainability.

Yara Pilbara's Health, Environment, Safety & Quality Policy

Safety Leaflet Neighbourhood 

Safety Leaflet Yara Pilbara

MONITORING & REPORTING 

The Yara Pilbara operations are in an approved strategic industrial estate established by the Australian and Western Australian governments. We are committed to running our plants to comply with all local licensing and regulatory requirements and our own rigorous global standards.

Globally Yara is one of the most energy efficient companies in the chemical and fertiliser industry, successfully reducing our greenhouse gas emissions by more than 45%.

We continue to invest significant effort and funds into making our plants even safer and our people even more competent and better equipped.

As part of our operational licence we report regularly on areas such as emission levels, groundwater and we undertake heritage studies; flora and fauna surveys and rock art monitoring with the Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation (MAC).

ROCK ART MONITORING 

FLORA & FAUNA

Protecting people and the environment

At Yara Pilbara we take responsibility for our product through the value chain from raw material to use; that’s why we have committed to a Product Stewardship programme.

Health, Environment, Safety and Security are Yara’s top priorities and we are committed to producing a quality product whilst running our operations to comply with all local licensing and regulatory requirements and our own rigorous global standards.

Following the products through the supply chain and committing to Australian and international standards ensures that proper care is taken from purchase of raw materials, through production, storage and distribution, to sales, delivery and usage.

Compliance with legislation and Yara’s internal technical and safety standards ensures a high focus on product and process safety as well as protection of personnel and environment by implementimg best available techniques.

Yara Pilbara Fertilisers and Yara Pilbara Nitrates have been certified as 'Product Stewards - Excellence' to the International Fertiliser Association’s programme which reflects Yara Pilbara's focus on Health, Environment, Safety and Security as top priorities and demonstrates our commitment to ensuring quality and safe handling of our Product.

For more information please visit Yara Product Stewardship.

Yara Pilbara's SDS 

Anhydrous Ammonia

Ammonium Nitrate Solution 90-96%

Ammonium Nitrate Porous Prills (5-7)

Ammonium Nitrate Porous Prills (7-7)

Nitric Acid 60% 

Pivot 16

PIP-60, Pivot 22

At Yara we are Pilbara Proud.

Our commitment to the region and Western Australia goes beyond our investment of almost $2 billion in establishing our operations and the jobs we have created.

It is embodied by the Yara Pilbara decision to opt for a residential workforce based in Karratha rather than a fly-in/fly-out operation. We have 300 residential Karratha-based employees and contractors and invested $50 million building more than 100 homes in the local community .

We regularly provide support for and participate in events in Karratha and Dampier plus we are passionate about delivering opportunities for young people in education and training.

COLLOBORATING WITH TRADITIONAL OWNERS

Since we began operating in Western Australia, Yara Pilbara has recognised the historical and cultural significance of Murujuga (the Burrup Peninsula).

"We are only guests here, we are effectively borrowing this land.” - Svein Tore Holsether, Yara International CEO during a Pilbara visit August 2016.

Yara meets regularly with traditional owner representative body, Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation, to understand and support their aspirations. We actively promote understanding and respect for the rock art and Aboriginal culture within our workforce and for those contractors who visit our operations.

Our company is committed to working with all stakeholders to preserve the cultural heritage of the area and Yara Pilbara supports World Heritage Listing of the Murujuga cultural landscape.

MAC BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

EDUCATION 

The processes which underpin Yara Pilbara’s value-adding operations are based on science and engineering.

We are committed to increasing understanding of what we do and promoting the importance of chemistry and process engineering as a career platform. Yara has established strong and ongoing relationships with local schools and leading tertiary institutions including The University of WA and Curtin University.

SCHOLARSHIPS

Yara Pilbara provides $20,000 each year in the form of an Academic Excellence Scholarship academic scholarships for Karratha secondary students. The funds are to assist with the cost of tertiary education.

TECHNICAL CHALLENGE 

We hold a technical challenge each year for teams from UWA and Curtin University to help get students prepared for a role in the chemical and process engineering sector. The teams are given a theoretical task to improve efficiencies in running an ammonia plant.

The winning team members receive a cash prize, flights to Karratha for a tour of Yara Pilbara’s operations and the three students will be offered interviews for places in the company’s 12-week Engineering Student Vacation Program.

SUPPLIERS & CONTRACTORS

Our commitment to the Pilbara and Western Australia goes beyond our investment of almost $2 billion in establishing our operations and the jobs we have created.

Yara Pilbara is a proud and significant contributor to the Western Australian economy. Our company spends on average $70m annually in the communities that surround us and regularly utilises the skills of a range of local contractors and small businesses.

 Since our establishment in WA, Yara Pilbara has recognised the historical and cultural significance of Murujuga (Burrup Peninsula), and its ancient rock art (also known as petroglyphs). Independent visual inspections of key sites are carried out on a regular basis.

We also meet regularly with the local traditional owner representative body, Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation, to understand and support their aspirations, and we are proud to work with them in monitoring and protecting the rock art via our Heritage experts. We actively promote understanding of the rock art and Aboriginal culture within our workforce and for those contractors who visit our operations.

See the 2018  Rock Art Monitoring in action, completed in conjunction with the Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation

Check out our vacant positions

A rewarding career, a relaxed lifestyle, living in a stunning Australian landscape – but that’s not all there is at Yara Pilbara.

Become part of a global network working together to responsibly solve some of the world’s biggest challenges — resource scarcity, food insecurity, and environmental change.

We support our employees in their development because we want them to achieve their potential and to help others do the same. With operations around the world your career path doesn’t need to stop in Australia.

We are always looking for ambitious and curious minded colleagues who are keen to make a difference.

Join us at Yara Pilbara!