[OFFICIAL]
1 Executive Summary
Introduction
1.1 This report reviews the economic impacts of Anglo American’s Woodsmith Project and concludes it remains critically important and nationally significant.
1.2 It sets out Quod’s up to date conclusions with respect to the scale and nature of the benefits of the Woodsmith Project, taking into account evidence from the construction works that have already been completed since 2017, demonstrating an excellent track record of local employment and substantial local supply chain expenditure. 1.3 It presents these benefits in the context of local, regional and national economic challenges and opportunities, including the national imperatives to improve productivity, attract international investment and boost growth in the North of England.
The UK’s largest mining project
1.4 Anglo American is currently developing what will become one of the world’s largest fertiliser producing mines (and the UK’s largest mine), located in North Yorkshire and Teesside. The Woodmsith Project represents a unique asset for the UK that will drive growth, create high value jobs and generate large-scale exports, whilst helping the UK become a major global fertiliser producer. 1.5 Setting a new benchmark for sensitive mine design, the Woodsmith Project benefits from a c.2 billion tonne multi-decade resource of polyhalite, a natural mineral fertiliser. The Project will help the UK become a major global fertiliser producer and leader in sustainable food production, one of the most pressing challenges facing the world today.
Scope and scale
1.6 The Project will involve the large-scale extraction and granulation of polyhalite, which is a naturally occurring mineral containing four of the six macro-nutrients that are essential for plant growth – potassium, sulphur, magnesium and calcium. The Project will include the construction of an underground mine, along with the necessary infrastructure both above and below ground required for transporting, processing and distributing polyhalite. This assessment is based on an annual extraction of 13 million tonnes per year (mtpa). 1.7 The key components of the Project are the Mine Infrastructure (Woodsmith Mine) near Whitby in North Yorkshire, a 37km underground Mineral Transport System (MTS) that will transport the mined ore to a Materials Handling Facility at Teesside and onto Port and Harbour Facilities for export.
Quod | Woodsmith Project | Economic Impact Report | March 2026
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