Ravensdown’s Hornby location in Christchurch, N.Z., began serving customers some 48 hours after a fire affected the eastern section of the 14 hectare site. Customers were able to order and collect product starting at 8:00 a.m. Oct. 11. The company said it had good stocks of finished fertilizer products for the coming season ready for pickup. However, it did say that will the initial restart of service, customers could expect some onsite congestion.
No one was injured in the Oct. 9 fire, which severely damaged four of the company’s 13 storage buildings. The company said the fire started during some maintenance work and spread along the roof line when a rubber conveyor belt ignited. The company said the plant does not store explosives materials and that two small bangs heard during the fire were likely caused by gas bottles being used during maintenance work.
Ravensdown told Green Markets that both the blending plant and the SSP manufacturing facility were not damaged. However, the intake system which takes delivery of unprocessed phosphate rock was severely damaged. The company says it does have existing stocks of rock that will be fed into the manufacturing process. The company said if there are any shortfalls, it can call upon its similar plants in Dunedin and Napier as well as moving around its stocks in the South Island network.
The company said the damaged buildings were insured and will be replaced. The buildings were new fiberglass construction and did not contain asbestos.
“As a proud member of the Hornby community since 1922, we are determined to rebuild, restore and improve the site as it eventually becomes fully operational,” said CEO Greg Campbell.