Toespraak van minister Kamp bij First Stone Ceremony of Yara’s new mineral fertiliser plant

Toespraak | 14-03-2016

Ladies and gentlemen,

Soon we will lay the first stone of the new Ureum 8 plant, launching Yara’s latest investment in its Sluiskil site. This first stone will anchor Yara even more firmly in the soil of Zeeuws-Vlaanderen. That’s good news, not only for Yara but for all industry here in Zeeland. So I congratulate Yara’s directors, employees and other stakeholders on this occasion.

Yara has been a major industrial presence in Zeeland for nearly a century. Its forerunner began producing chemical fertiliser here in 1929 – decades before Terneuzen became a booming port and industrial zone. Today, products from Yara Sluiskil are shipped all over the world. Helping farmers on every continent improve crop yields.

Yara has thus become one of the leading global industries in the southwest of the Netherlands. Alongside Dow, Cargill and SABIC. These companies, with their suppliers, are a major source of jobs in the region. Nearly 136,000 people in Zeeland work in industry and services, out of a labour force of just over 161,000.

In recent years industry here has struggled. Everyone knows someone who worked for a company that didn’t make it. And with today’s high prices for raw materials and energy, industry is still under pressure. Yet despite these difficult times, Yara has invested heavily in its future at Sluiskil. It recognises the power of Zeeuws-Vlaanderen as a strategic location and the advantages offered by other businesses in the region.

Because cooperation is what makes Yara tick. The company was in fact born from a partnership. One of its founders owned a coke factory. He knew that the gases created during coke production could be used to make fertiliser. So one company’s by-product became another company’s raw material. It’s this insight that still bolsters Yara’s competitive position, and that of other companies in the region.

WarmCO2 is an excellent example of smart cooperation. Greenhouse growers in Zeeuws-Vlaanderen use residual heat and residual CO2 from the Yara Sluiskil plant to grow tomatoes, bell peppers and aubergines. Both sides benefit. Yara significantly reduces its CO2 emissions. And growers can save up to 50% on their energy bill. It’s boosted greenhouse horticulture, and has attracted more growers to the region. I visited a greenhouse training centre today, where future workers are being trained for jobs in horticulture. WarmCO2 is expected to create about 1,000 jobs in the region.

Yara is also involved in the regional Smart Delta Resources platform. Industrial companies have got together to find smarter approaches to their raw material, waste, energy and product flows. I’m delighted that I’ll be signing the Green Deal on Hydrogen Symbiosis with them today. Companies, Gasunie and the authorities will be working together so that Yara and ICL-IP can use residual hydrogen produced by Dow Chemicals. At the moment Yara is still producing its own hydrogen and ICL-IP is having to buy it. But that’s going to change, thanks to the Green Deal. This will result in energy savings equivalent to the consumption of about 3,000 households and greatly reduce the companies’ CO2 emissions. In the long term it will also cut costs for the parties involved.

Yara doesn’t hesitate to tackle major societal challenges. It’s working hard to be part of the circular economy championed by the Dutch government and the European Union. And in response to demand for cleaner industrial production and more efficient and more sustainable food production, Yara is developing new revenue models. Starting by looking at its own operations. Since 2005, Yara has reduced CO2 emissions at this plant by 60%, while increasing production, reducing the carbon footprint of the company and its products.

What’s more, Yara’s products help make the entire chemical fertiliser chain more efficient and more sustainable. The N-sensor allows farmers to use fertiliser more efficiently, saving them money and reducing environmental impact. And as a market leader in the production of diesel exhaust fluid, Yara has helped reduce harmful emissions from thousands of buses, lorries and cars.

A smart company like Yara deserves a smart government. A government that creates the conditions for companies to grow and innovate. One of those conditions is a skilled technical workforce. Industrial companies are still finding it difficult to fill vacancies. Simply because there aren’t enough suitable candidates. That’s why I’m working with the private sector, education and regional authorities to encourage young people to train for jobs in science and engineering. And we’re making sure that their skills match labour market demand.

I regularly speak with representatives of the chemical industry, including Yara, about what they need to stay competitive. Because, when I’m drawing up new rules and regulations, for example, I need to be able to weigh social and business interests properly.

I know industry’s concerns about EU rules on capping CO2 emissions. And I share those concerns. The EU may be leading the way in taking measures against CO2, but that shouldn’t bar European companies from competing on the global market. Europe’s fertiliser industry is the most energy-efficient and environmentally-friendly in the world. But that will rebound on us if companies are forced to move production outside the European Union. That’s why I advocate an ambitious EU climate policy that safeguards the interests of internationally competitive companies.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Today we’re celebrating the start of construction on the Ureum 8 plant. When it’s completed it will cut urea dust emissions by half. By investing in a state-of-the-art, more environmentally friendly production process, Yara is extending its licence to operate and boosting its competitive position. It’s what we’ve come to expect from a company that’s been a jewel in the crown of Zeeland industry for nearly a century.

Thank you.