Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has officially opened the new third berth at BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance’s (BMA) Hay Point Coal Terminal, which lifts the export capacity from 44 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) to 55 mtpa.
The Premier was joined by BHP Billiton President Coal, Mike Henry, and Mitsubishi Corporation COO, Mineral Resources Investment Division, Rick Tanaka, at the official ceremony.
The Hay Point Coal Terminal third expansion project (HPX3) involved construction of a new berth and ship-loader alongside the existing two berths. It also included the replacement of the existing jetty, trestle conveyors and surge bins and linking conveyors.
The Premier said that the Queensland coal exports reached a new record in the last financial year of more than 219 million tonnes and it was pleasing to acknowledge the benefits of large infrastructure investments such as the Hay Point expansion, notwithstanding the challenging times faced by the coal sector.
In consultation with government agencies the HPX3 project was developed and is operated in accordance with comprehensive environmental management strategies covering dust and noise generation and the marine habitat.
The construction workforce peaked at more than 1,630 during 2014 and more than 12.6 million person hours were worked.
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