It has been Newcastle's version of the Eiffel Tower for more than half a century, but the Orica's original nitric acid plant stack is due to be removed from Kooragang Island early next year.
Work is nearing completion on a new $11million, 86 metre, nitric acid plant stack, which will replace the one that has stood since 1969.
The site has three nitric acid plants, which convert ammonia into approximately 330,000 tonnes of nitric acid per annum.
Cutover activities to connect the new stack, which is supported by 17 metre deep pilings, to the No.1 nitric acid plant will commence in the next few months.
The project complements a range of initiatives designed to make the plant more efficient and achieve a 40 per cent reduction in emissions by 2030 based on 2019 levels.
A $37 million decarbonisation project will involve the installation of greenhouse gas abatement technology at the Kooragang plant in 2022.
The project, which the State Government recently contributed $13.06million towards, is regarded as a long-term aid for emissions reduction in high-pressure nitric acid manufacturing plants
The technology uses catalytic decomposition to destroy nitrous oxide emissions. Nitrous oxide, generated as a by-product of nitric acid production, is the primary source of greenhouse gas emissions at the Kooragang Island facility.
It is estimated the technology, to be will be installed across the site's three nitric acid manufacturing plants, will eliminate at least 567,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per year from the site's operations.
It is expected it will reduce the site's total greenhouse gas emissions by 48 per cent and deliver a cumulative emissions reduction of at least 4.7 million tonnes of carbon dioxide by 2030.
"This project is a powerful example of a public-private partnership towards decarbonisation. We're committed to working with our stakeholders to forge a pathway towards a lower carbon future together," Kooragang Island's manufacturing centre manger Paul Hastie said.
"The project ensures our manufacturing operations will remain competitive in a low carbon economy, bringing with it significant regional environmental, economic and social benefits.
"There are also benefits for our customers. By reducing the emissions intensity of our ammonium nitrate we are in a position to offer competitive and lower carbon-intensity ammonium nitrate products, helping them to achieve their sustainability goals.
The Plant's Major Hazard Facility licence was recently renewed for five years. The site is classified as a major hazard facility because between 6000 and 12,000 tonnes of ammonium nitrate is stored there.
