PotashCorp’s original plans for the sulfur-melting plant called for construction of the $95 million plant with a sulfur-pellet storage facility on the Morehead City waterfront. That initial proposal drew opposition from members of the public and, eventually, Gov. Beverly Perdue.

Currently, PotashCorp is considering a plan that would divide the pellet-storage and melting facilities with storage at the Morehead City port with sulfur pellets to be transported by barges to the company’s Aurora mining site, where the sulfur-melting plant would be built.

These split operations could increase the project cost to about $170 million, PotashCorp has said.