Abbot Point wins Bulk Handling Facility of the Year
February 13, 2012
On October 26, 2011 the Abbot Point Coal Terminal X50 expansion project was named the Bulk Materials Handling Facility of the Year by the Australian Bulk Handling Review at an awards ceremony held in Sydney, Australia.
The AUD$800 million expansion of the coal terminal to 50 Mtpa is the largest port development project ever undertaken by a port authority in Queensland.
North Queensland Bulk Ports (NQBP), the port owner, commissioned Aurecon Hatch to complete the engineering design and tender procurement for the project. Aurecon Hatch also provided technical assistance and construction supervision as part of an integrated owner’s/engineer project management team and prepared and commissioned all control systems software.
The expansion project included duplicating the terminal‘s onshore and offshore facilities and upgrading most of the existing terminal, while maintaining the existing plant’s operation. The team was challenged during the X50 expansion with record-breaking wet seasons and a volatile construction industry, which included severe labor shortages and spiraling material costs. The project was completed on time and at budget.
Safety was a high priority, with more than 1,000,000 work-hours without a single lost time injury (LTI) on multiple occasions. The site borders one of the world’s most environmentally sensitive regions, the Great Barrier Marine Park, as well as biodiverse wetlands. The design included many features that meet best practice for the minimization of environmental impacts, such as smart control of water sprays to reduce water usage.
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