World’s Largest Salt Company Abandons Decade-Long Development in Western Australia Wetland

K+S Salt Australia, a subsidiary of the German potash giant, has pulled out of its nearly ten-year-old plan to develop a major industrial salt project in a critically important wetland along Western Australia’s Pilbara coast. The company announced Thursday that it would no longer pursue its Ashburton Salt proposal before the Environmental Protection Authority.

The project aimed to build a solar salt facility on the eastern shore of Exmouth Gulf, approximately 40 kilometers southwest of Onslow and 1,400 kilometers north of Perth. In a statement, K+S cited a shift in the strategic focus of its parent company away from international salt production as the reason for the withdrawal.

The company strongly denied that environmental concerns or opposition campaigns, notably in Germany where the company is based, influenced the decision. “K+S remains confident the Ashburton Salt project could have become one of the world’s most environmentally sound solar salt operations,” said Managing Director Gerrit Gödecke.

First proposed in 2016, the saltworks was designed to produce 4.7 million tonnes of salt annually. While the project faced opposition from some in Exmouth, it also garnered support from the town of Onslow, which stood to benefit from employment opportunities and economic growth.

Kerry White, a councillor for the Shire of Ashburton representing Onslow, expressed disappointment over the cancellation. “The loss of 150 direct jobs and 50 indirect jobs will be deeply felt in our community,” he said.