Host of massive expansions to Queensland coal ports in planning stage

News was prepared under the information support of Online Daily Newspaper on Hellenic and international Shipping "Hellenic Shipping News".

30 Sep 2011

THE State Government has put the cost of the planned Dudgeon Point coal terminal, north of Mackay, at up to $10 billion. In a host of massive expansions for the state's ports,

North Queensland Bulk Ports said in its annual report that the site, about five kilometres north-west of the existing two coal terminals, was being prepared for up to three coal terminals with an estimated capacity of up to 150 million tonnes a year.
Expected construction cost of the new terminals is $8 billion to $10 billion, to be funded by industry.
India's Adani has preferred developer rights.
The project is expected to include new coal stockyards, up to eight new ship berths and a new rail connection from the Goonyella system to Dudgeon Point, as well as an expansion of the existing Tug Harbour at Half Tide.
The new terminals are expected to export the first coal around 2016. NQBP said it was considering potential for further expansion which would be included in the Hay Point Development Master Plan.
The Port of Townsville said its $85 million Berth 10A project would involve the reconstruction and extension of the existing Berth 10 to accommodate military, cruise and commercial shipping and the construction of a multi-purpose passenger terminal building adjacent to Ross Creek.
The facility is scheduled to be operational by mid-2013 and has been jointly funded by the State and Federal governments at a cost of $36.5 million and $34 million respectively. The Port of Gladstone said in its annual report that for the first time in living memory, it had experienced a downturn in trade, attributed to the central Queensland floods.
The port has started its $1.4 billion dredging project to develop construction docks, material off-load facilities, berth pockets, swing basins and shipping channels for the LNG industry.
Work has also started on a new development plan for the Port of Mourilyan.
Source: The Courier-Mail