SIRIUS MINERALS
a deep shaft system and an underground tunnel directly to nearby sea ports and shipping channels. The challenge for Sirius lies in the location, as the project is situated inside a major national park, meaning that the level of environmental responsibility placed on Sirius’ shoulders is significant. “It started with the way that we designed the project and the infrastructure. Post construction, it will have minimal, if any, impact on the environment,” explains Clarke. “The mine site itself won’t be visible from any viewing 76
point around the site once we’ve finished, and I think we’ve demonstrated that it’s possible to design a deep mine in a sensitive area without it having a significant impact on the environment. As a company, we take a lot of pride in the way we’ve gone about that, from the way we engage with the local people and the care we take in the environment.” This is echoed by Chris Fraser, Managing Director and CEO of Sirius. He notes that the innovative low impact design came about through initial discussions and planning meetings about the mine, which originally was going to involve turning the polyhalite into sulphate of potash (SOP) through NOVEMBER 2018
“I think we’re really setting the benchmark in sustainability and the way to develop a mine” — Graham Clarke, Operations Director at Sirius Minerals