Australia: Geraldton Port Expansion Nears Completion

The Geraldton Port expansion project is nearing its completion, according to the ABC News.

Michael Weir, a spokesman for Karara Mining, stated: “Port expansion is coming along very well and in fact will be completed within weeks now, so we will be aiming to have haematite shipments ready to go as soon as we can press the button on those port facilities.”

“We’ve completed the new berth at berth seven, we’ve installed a new ship loader at berth seven and that’s currently being commissioned and we’ve also installed a new dual-wagon train loader. So hopefully within the next few weeks all of those things will come together and our new section of the port will be operational,” he said to the ABC News.

Located in the heart of the city of Geraldton, the port is 424 kilometres north of Perth, 1,340 kilometres south of Port Hedland and 990 kilometres west of Kalgoorlie.

The port handles iron ores, grains, fuels, metals, mineral sands, talc, garnet and fertilisers.

Trade growth has seen Geraldton Port move from a five million tonne per annum port five years ago to reach 10 million tonnes for the first time last financial year. Strong growth is set to turn into stronger growth as iron ore ramps up in 2012. Today’s ten million tonne port will be 2014’s fifteen million tonne port.

With the addition of Oakajee to the GPA portfolio, the Ports of Geraldton & Oakajee become the Mid West’s sixty million tonne gateway to opportunity.

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Dredging Today Staff, August 13, 2012; Image: gpa.wa.gov