The startup operates a solar salt project focused on producing chemical-grade salt for the Asia-Pacific chemical markets. By utilizing solar evaporation techniques, the company provides clients with competitively priced salt, addressing the demand for cost-effective raw materials in chemical manufacturing.
Funding
$10.7M raised to dateRaised to date based on public sources. This may differ from the amount the company actually raised and is based only on what is publicly available on the internet.
Founders
Product
Problem
The Asia-Pacific chemical industry requires a consistent supply of cost-effective, high-quality chemical-grade salt as a raw material for manufacturing processes. Fluctuations in salt supply and pricing can disrupt production schedules and impact the competitiveness of chemical manufacturers in the region.
Solution
Leichhardt operates solar salt and gypsum production facilities to supply chemical-grade salt to the Asia-Pacific market. The company utilizes solar evaporation techniques at its Lake MacLeod operation, extracting brine that is ten times saltier than seawater to produce approximately 1.5Mtpa of industrial salt. Leichhardt also produces approximately 1Mtpa of gypsum, suitable for plasterboard and cement production. The company is also developing the Eramurra Project, targeting a 5.3Mtpa production rate using sustainable solar salt operation, which will derive approximately 98% of its energy requirements from wind and sun.
Target Audience
The primary customers are chemical manufacturers in the Asia-Pacific region who require a reliable source of industrial-grade salt, as well as construction material suppliers needing gypsum.
Features
- Solar evaporation process for sustainable salt production
- Lake MacLeod operation with a perpetual brine resource under a State Agreement
- Privately-owned deep-water port at Lake MacLeod with up to 6Mtpa export capacity for salt and gypsum
- Gypsum production through excavation and water leaching, yielding plasterboard and cement grade material
- Eramurra Project designed for best-practice, hi-spec, low-cost solar salt operation
- Focus on minimizing environmental impact and protecting biodiversity
- Commitment to net-zero emissions by 2050