By Kate Bastable. Photo by Amanda Balmer
Hay Point Coal Terminal is set to almost double its capacity in a proposed expansion, which is expected to be staged over seven years.
A spokesperson for BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA) yesterday said the proposed expansion would increase the terminal's capacity from 44 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) to 75 Mtpa.
The full scope and timeframes for the planned expansion were not yet finalised, and the proposal was currently awaiting environmental approvals from the relevant Commonwealth and State Government authorities, she said.
If the proposal is approved and BMA decides to proceed with it as is, the terminal's capacity will increase from 44 Mtpa to 55 Mtpa in stage two and grow to 75 Mtpa in stage three. About 275,000 sq m of material will be dredged in the proposed first stage.
The expansion formed part of BMA's future growth plans and would increase the company's range of infrastructure positions in Queensland, the spokesperson said. If the project went ahead, it would create a "significant number" of jobs during the construction phase, she said.
"The initial expansion would involve replacing the existing trestle conveyors, replacing surge bins, introducing overland conveyors to transfer coal from the stockpiles to the jetty and constructing an additional berth and ship loader," the spokesperson said.
"Approval timeframes are governed by statutory processes and BMA will work with various departments to obtain necessary approvals."
As the terminal's infrastructure lies on land and offshore, the proposed expansion was originally subject to Mackay Regional Council (MRC) approval processes as well as those imposed by the State Government.
However, to ease the process for BMA, Queensland's Infrastructure and Planning Minister Stirling Hinchcliffe recently determined that the Department of Environment and Resource Management would be the assessment manager for the application for the proposed expansion of the terminal, in accordance with Section 3.1.7(2) of the Integrated Planning Act. This means council will be a concurrence referral agency, but the state government will act as assessment manager and the primary decision maker.
Hay Point Coal Terminal was constructed and commissioned between 1969 and 1971.
The Proposal...
- The proposed expansion will increase the terminal's capacity from 44 Mtpa to 75 Mtpa
- The expansion is expected to be carried out in three stages and take about seven years
- The initial expansion would involve replacing the existing trestle conveyors, replacing surge bins, introducing overland conveyors to transfer coal from the stockpiles to the jetty and constructing an additional berth and ship loader
Taken from The Daily Mercury 23 December 2009