ORICA has suspended the restart of its ammonia plant at Kooragang Island, after the company discovered the part of the plant prevents carbon dioxide emissions ‘‘was not working properly’’.
A statement from Orica said the community, employees and environment were not at risk at any point during the attempted restart.
‘‘During the restart of the ammonia plant, the part of the plant that removes carbon dioxide as a byproduct was not working properly,’’ the statement said.
‘‘The restart was suspended and investigations into the cause of the issue have commenced.’’
Orica site Manager Sean Winstone said restarting a large plant was a complex process and ‘‘it is not uncommon for issues of this nature to occur’’.
“We have said all along that we will take whatever time is required to restart the plant safely, and that we want to be assured the plant will perform properly for the long term,’’ Mr Winstone said.
The Orica statement said the company was committed to communicating with the community and will continue to update residents as information becomes available.
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