Port of Townsville has hit a series of milestones as it engages in a port-upgrade programme worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
The port, which is a member of Shipping Australia, has reached a major milestone with the completion a large rock wall, necessary to build a large reclaimed-land site, as part of a channel widening project. It has also commissioned a new cargo terminal while also installing a new Liebherr ship-to-shore crane.
Channel upgrade
Building a 2.2 kilometre rock wall is a step in a $232 million channel-widening project, which will allow larger ships to access the port. About 900,000 tonnes of rock were supplied by local providers to build the 10 metre high wall.
The shipping channel will be widened from 92 metres to 180 metres at the land-end, and taper to 120 metres at the sea-end. The wider shipping channel will allow vessels up to 300 metres to access the port. It can currently handle vessels up to 238 metres long. Ultimately, the project will pave the way for up to six new berths.
Material recovered from widening 15 kilometres of sea channels will be used to build the area behind the wall and will support a 62 hectare expansion (620,000 square metres).
Dredging is expected to take two years, with the project set for completion in late 2023.
Expansion is thought to be necessary as, according to the Port of Townsville, “trade volumes through the Port… are expected to triple over the next 30 years”. Port of Townsville Chief Operating Officer Drew Penny has said that the Port of Townsville expects to handle the equivalent of more than 200,000 twenty-foot containers per year by 2050.
Queensland Resources Minister and State Member for Townsville, the Hon Scott Stewart MP, added that expansion of the “Port of Townsville’s footprint builds capacity for our resources sector to export more to the world through our pit to port approach, which involves upgrading the Mt Isa to Townsville rail line”.
The Port has spent $17 million on environmental monitoring and management programs as part of the project, including programs covering dolphins, turtles, seagrass, coral and shorebirds, with an Independent Technical Advisory Committee providing oversight.
New cargo terminal and crane
Meanwhile the port has also announced the official commissioning of the new $30 million container terminal Berth 4 Crane and Cargo Terminal.
Construction of the terminal involved the creation of a 1.8 hectare (18,000 square metre) paved heavy cargo handling area; a quarantine-approved container wash bay; installation of power, lighting, fencing, terminal gates, amenities and utility services; road and rail level crossing for direct access to Berth 4 from the cargo terminal; and, as mentioned, the installation of a new container crane.
Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey said the crane will comfortably double the operational speeds of its predecessor.
“The new Crane and Cargo Terminal is able to unload vessels at a rate of 35 twenty-foot equivalent containers per hour,” Mr Bailey said.
“Combined with the $40.7 million Berth 4 wharf upgrade completed in 2018, it’s more than doubled the berth’s overall handling capacity.
“The crane’s faster lift rates also mean faster turn-around times for vessels – a key indicator of any port’s efficiency and trade competitiveness.”
Minister for Resources and Member for Townsville Scott Stewart added that, “with demand for containerised goods expected to grow four-fold over the next 30 years, it is crucial that we find ways to keep pace. We expect boosted productivity to attract more regular shipping services to Townsville and to help sustain growth in containerised goods and other cargo well into the future”.
