Chatham Rock Phosphate (NZE:CRP) said it has been negotiating with Ports North for the lease of port side land at the Port of Karumba to enable the export of 200,000 tonnes per annum of lump phosphate from the Korella North Mine, according to a Wednesday New Zealand bourse filing.

This will enable phosphate delivery by road to a storage area on the port side land, which is planned to hold up to 30,000 tonnes, and from there, the product will be transferred to barges and transported by tugs to ships anchored in deep water in the Gulf of Carpentaria.

The company said the Korella North Mine was originally planned to sell into the domestic market, but growing demand in China and Vietnam for lump phosphate used in yellow phosphorus production has strengthened its plans to export through Karumba.

Yellow phosphorus is used to produce thermal grade phosphoric acid or purified phosphoric acid for use in lithium-iron-phosphorus batteries.