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New milestones for Townsville Port’s $232 million channel upgrade

Photo courtesy of the Port of Townsville Limited.
Photo courtesy of the Port of Townsville Limited.
Photo courtesy of the Port of Townsville Limited.

The Port of Townsville’s $232 million upgrade project has reached major milestones with the completion of the channel’s rock wall and the commissioning of a new $30 million Crane and Cargo Terminal.

Constructing the 2.2-kilometre rock wall is the first critical step in widening Townsville’s shipping channel to allow larger ships to access the Port instead of bypassing Townsville.

The upgrade, the largest infrastructure upgrade in the port’s 156-year history, is critical to Queensland’s economic recovery and also to North Queensland’s hydrogen future.

In April, the Port signed a memorandum of understanding with the Australian energy company Origin, which will see the port facilitate the export of 36,500 tonnes of green liquid hydrogen to Japan’s Kawasaki Heavy Industries each year – as part of Queensland’s vision to become a major renewable hydrogen producer and supplier.

The channel upgrade is a key project under the Townsville City Deal, which is helping to generate local jobs, drive economic growth, and ensure that Townsville is a vibrant and liveable city for years to come.

Following to completion of the rock wall, dredging to widen Townsville’s 14.9-kilometre shipping channel will commence shortly, with all dredge material to be placed in a 62-hectare reclamation area bounded by the rock wall.

The contract for the $232 million Channel Upgrade project was awarded to Hall Contracting in December last year, which has partnered with Townsville-based Pacific Marine Group in dredging and reclamation.

The pair has committed to almost 100 per cent of this project being resourced from Queensland-based businesses. Of the more than 1,300 people employed by the project since 2018, over 90 per cent were Queenslanders, 10 per cent First Nations people and more than 6 per cent trainees and apprentices.

Holcim and HyTec along with Ravenswood Gold mine supplied 750 000 tonnes of rock for the project. Port of Townsville Chief Infrastructure Officer, Marissa Wise, said a total of seven local rock suppliers provided 900,000 tonnes of rock, with construction of the 10-metre-high wall requiring specialist knowledge.

“It was a complex project that called on the marine construction expertise of designers, engineers, environmental experts and contractors working together,” Ms Wise said.

“We have used a number of innovative design and construction techniques to ensure the rock wall withstands tidal action, storm surges, cyclones and rising sea levels.”

During the peak construction phase of the rock wall there were 200 trucks passing through the site gates every day to deliver over 20,000 tonnes of rock a week.

The Townsville Port Channel Upgrade is a joint project of the Australian and Queensland governments, and Port of Townsville Limited, and forms part of the Townsville City Deal signed in December 2016.

As part of the project, the shipping channel will be widened from 92 metres to 180 metres at the Port end, and taper to 120 metres at the seaward end. The wider shipping channel will allow vessels up to 300 metres to safely access the Port.

The area will allow the Port to expand its footprint in the future and ultimately pave the way for up to six new berths. Trade volumes through the Port of Townsville are expected to triple over the next 30 years.

Dredging is expected to take two years, with the project set for completion in late 2023.

Berth 4 Crane and Cargo Terminal

In addition to the $232 million upgrade of the port channel, a $30 million Berth 4 Crane and Cargo Terminal was officially commissioned on the port today, with the commissioning marked by the debut of the Port’s new Liebherr Post Panamax Ship-to-Shore 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.

Port of Townsville Chief Operating Officer Drew Penny said the Port of Townsville expects to handle the equivalent of more than 200,000 twenty-foot containers per year by 2050.

“Containerised goods are one of the key growth areas we have identified for the Port, and the new crane will be an important player in helping us ready for that additional trade,” Mr Penny said.


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