BHP moves up opening date for Jansen potash mine

Mining giant BHP has released a new schedule for the Jansen potash project east of Saskatoon.

The company says it’s working to bring the first phase of the potash mine into production one year sooner than expected.

“Our US$5.7 billion Jansen potash project in Canada is tracking to plan and we are working to bring first production forward to 2026,” BHP chief executive officer Mike Henry said in a release.

Jansen will be the largest potash mine in the world once it’s at full capacity.

The long-delayed project is expected to produce about 4.35 million tonnes of potash per year with the potential for further expansions.

The project includes the design, engineering and construction of an underground potash mine and surface infrastructure including a processing facility, a product storage building, and a continuous automated rail loading system.

— With files from The Canadian Press