CSBP Fertilisers unveils second loading point at Esperance as part of $100m infrastructure and tech spend

WA’s biggest fertiliser company has dramatically increased how quickly it can load granular fertiliser on to trucks at Esperance as part of a $100 million spend on infrastructure and technology over the next five years.

CSBP Fertilisers last week unveiled a second granular fertiliser load point at its Esperance storage facility on Shelden Road, which the company said would improve “instantaneous despatch capacity” by up to 75 per cent.

CSBP Fertilisers general manager Mark Scatena said demand for urea in the Esperance Port Zone had increased 125 per cent during the past five years, putting added pressure on the existing single load point.

The new load point, which came online on Monday, is hoped to streamline the collection process for local customers and carriers — particularly during what Mr Scatena described as the “peak crossover period” between seeding and nitrogen despatch.

“Listening to customers is incredibly important to ensure we’re constantly focused on improving the customer experience and identifying opportunities to best support them across reliability, experience and advice,” he said.

“Our recent carrier survey showed that the single load point at Esperance constrained despatch capacity, with customers and carriers experiencing difficulties obtaining appointments to collect fertiliser in acceptable timeframes during peak season.

“The new, additional despatch point will reduce wait times and provide easier access and a faster loading service.”

CSBP Fertilisers has operated a single load point for solid fertilisers in Esperance since 2018, despatching about 180,000 tonnes of solid and liquid fertilisers for both the pasture and broadacre markets each year.

Mr Scatena said CSBP was responding to increased demand from WA growers by investing more than $100 million during the next five years in fertiliser infrastructure improvements and digital technology systems.

“CSBP Fertilisers is committed to reinvesting across our production and despatch infrastructure and leveraging data and analytics to enable an improved customer experience,” he said.

“Regional investment, such as Esperance, importantly reflects our continued support of the communities in which we operate.”

CSBP is the market leader in the WA fertiliser industry and has been an active player for more than 110 years, manufacturing, importing and distributing phosphate, nitrogen and potassium-based fertilisers in blended, compound and liquid form.