Wiggins Island Coal Terminal Aims for Early 2015 Completion

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Perth, Australia)--Wiggins Island Coal Export Terminal Limited (WICET) is continuing with construction, with completion expected in early 2015. The coal terminal is located west of the RG Tanna Coal Terminal in Port of Gladstone, Queensland, and is being constructed for a designed operating capacity of 27 million tonnes per year.

The project is being developed by a consortium of 16 major and minor coal miners, including Xstrata Coal (LSE:XTA), Aquila Resources (ASX:AQA), Bandanna Energy (ASX:BND), Caledon Resources (ASX:CCD), Cockatoo Coal (ASX:COK), Northern Energy Corporation (ASX:NEC) and Yancoal Australia (ASX:YAL). The $2.5 billion project was undertaken to create a coal processing facility in which various grades of coal can be received, stockpiled and blended to customer specifications prior to export. The facility will be operated by the Gladstone Ports Corporation.

The development hit a few delays in late 2012 due to market conditions and approvals, and the scheduled date of completion was pushed back from mid-2014 to early 2015. The scope of work includes constructing a single berth coal terminal with a 2.4-kilometre long jetty, a 1.9 million-tonne stockyard, a travelling ship loader, and a 5.6-kilometre overland conveyor system.

A number of design, engineering and construction companies have been involved in the development due to the sheer size of it. Worley Parsons was selected as the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) partner for the overall project and will be involved in any future expansion phases. A joint venture between leading engineering group Monadelphous (ASX:MDL) and marine engineering firm Muhibbah Engineering was selected for the offshore and jetty works. Sun Engineering (Brisbane, Queensland) was awarded the construction of rail receival yard and overland conveyor systems. John Holland Group was appointed for the construction of onshore stockyard, stacker/reclaimers and 13 substations. The contract for the civil works was awarded to the joint venture between Abigroup Limited (Perth, Western Australia) and Golding Contractors (Gladstone, Queensland).

A majority of the long-lead items, such as stacker gantries and surge bins, have been arriving on site since early 2013. WICET Project Manager Greg Sharples is upbeat about the smooth advancement of the first stage. However, the fate of the next two stages of expansion for the total throughput of 80 million tonnes per year will depend on the global market conditions.

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