Kemerton Silica Sand

Kemerton Silica Sand operates within the Kemerton Strategic Industrial Area, located approximately 15 km north of Bunbury, Western Australia. The site sits on the Swan Coastal Plain, characterised by low-relief, sandy terrain with shallow water tables. The surrounding landscape features dense native Banksia and Tuart woodland, requiring strict Phytophthora cinnamomi (Dieback) biosecurity protocols for all vehicle and personnel movements on-site. Hygiene stations and declared pathways are mandatory operational controls.

The operation is an active, long-cycle producing asset supplying high-purity silica sand predominantly to Japanese industrial and glass manufacturing markets via its parent JV entities, Itochu Corporation and Tochu Company Limited. Operational continuity is critically dependent on access to local mechanical workshop services in the Bunbury–Harvey corridor. Minimising equipment downtime through rapid-response OEM and aftermarket support contracts is a primary B2B procurement priority for this site.

• Commodity: High-purity silica sand for industrial and glass applications
• Ownership structure: Japanese-owned JV (Itochu / Tochu)
• Export channel: Bunbury Port bulk terminal
• Key downtime risk: Mobile plant and wet-plant mechanical failure

Extraction employs open-cut dry mining followed by wet processing, including scrubbing, classification, and dewatering circuits. Material handling relies on an extensive network of belt conveyors linking the extraction face to the wet plant and product stockpile areas. Conveyor system integrity — including idler sets, belt tensioning, and transfer chute management — represents the highest-frequency maintenance demand on-site. Structural wear from abrasive silica sand accelerates component degradation, requiring scheduled preventive maintenance programmes.

• Primary infrastructure: Wet processing plant, conveyor network, product stockpiles
• Critical wear components: Conveyor belts, idlers, pump liners, hydrocyclones
• Water management: Recirculation ponds for process water recovery

Operating within the Kemerton Industrial Area places the site under rigorous State Heritage and environmental compliance obligations, including Noongar Country cultural heritage assessments under the WA Aboriginal Heritage Act. B2B contractors engaging on-site are increasingly required to demonstrate alignment with Noongar-owned enterprise procurement policies and local content commitments. Rehabilitation of mined-out cells and progressive revegetation with endemic species are active ESG deliverables monitored by the Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (DEMIRS).

• Heritage framework: Noongar Country — Aboriginal Heritage Act 1972 (WA) compliance mandatory
• Preferred suppliers: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander business engagement encouraged
• Environmental obligations: Progressive rehabilitation, Dieback management, water stewardship