Leading Australian agribusiness, ABB Grain Ltd has received development approval to build a 110,000 tonne capacity malt house and grains container packing facility in Minto, Sydney.

Michael Iwaniw, Managing director of ABB Grain, said the company has acquired land for the $90 million development on the Hudson site which was previously part of the Macarthur Intermodal Shipping Terminal group (MIST) site.

The malt house and packing facility will be built for the company’s subsidiaries Joe White Maltings Ltd and Professional Grain Services Ltd to meet burgeoning growth in Asia.

The company has signed a long-term agreement for logistics services and grain delivery to be provided by Macarthur Intermodal Shipping Terminal Group (MIST) and related company Independent Railroads of Australia.

ABB’s site is adjacent to the main southern railway line into the port of Sydney.

Mr Iwaniw said the company plans to transport the grain by rail which would take 20,000 trucks off New South Wales roads.

Work on the malt house and packing facility is due to commence in July with the malt house expected to start receiving barley for malting in early 2011.