Hundreds of jobs in Hay Point overhauls

BMA’s Hay Point Coal Terminal is rolling out a multimillion-dollar raft of major upgrade projects and maintenance programs from mid-year. The work is good news for local industry, with Hay Point general manager Melissa Johnson stressing a preference for local content wherever possible. About 600 jobs will be supported across the three projects, which BMA views as enabling work in the lead-up to the total replacement of the Berth 2 wharf and shiploader in 2022-23. Hay Point general manager Melissa Johnson. “There’s a lot of activity at the moment – which is good,” Ms Johnson said. “The port has been operational for almost 50 years and we’re committed to its long term sustainability.” G&S Engineering is acting as principal contractor in one of the first projects to get underway in staged succession to replace two major yard conveyors. Ms Johnson said about 250 jobs were expected to be created in the 16-week project. “It is in pre-works stages at the moment and commences in July,” she said. At the same time, the Hay Point team will run a $20 million shutdown project on Shiploader 1, expected to employ a workforce of about 200 tradespeople. The shutdown includes replacement of the boom and telescopic chute as well as installation of new drives on the boom conveyor. Two shiploader cranes and the gravity take-up unit will also be upgraded. Ms Johnson said a substantial blast and paint campaign on the steelwork was also planned while the machine was offline. The new shiploader boom, weighing 73 tonnes, was fabricated at Melco’s workshop in Mackay and transported by road this month to a laydown area adjacent to the Hay Point terminal. Ms Johnson said the telescopic chute was being sourced from MHO in Gladstone and the drives from Sumitomo in Mackay. “It is a 16-week shutdown set to commence in July - this is the early works we’re in now - with the shutdown completion in November,” she said. As well as extending the life of the shiploader, the overhaul will increase capacity from 6000 tonnes to 6650 tonnes an hour. In July four-weeks of maintenance activity will also commence, occurring for the duration of the two projects on both the shiploader and Berth 2. “Following on from that we have 12 months with a small team carrying out online works. There are some components of work we can do while the machine is operational.” Ms Johnson said. That project is expected to involve a trade labour force of about 150 people. It will maintain the facility in a safe operational state until the replacement of the Berth 2 wharf and Shiploader 2. McConnell Dowell has secured an Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) contract, to be undertaken in collaboration with design engineer Aurecon. It will increase loading capacity from 5600 to 8000 tonnes an hour and raise the profile of the berth to match that at Shiploader 3. “It makes sense now to do some of what we would call the enabling projects to ensure we can still deliver the volume for that time when we don’t have Shiploader 2 running,” Ms Johnson said. “We’re very passionate about utilising local wherever we can. I stand behind that and the team does too. “Wherever possible they have looked at local tendering and local fabrication opportunities. “We have a lot of talented contracting partners we work with in the Central Queensland region, and just being able to reach out and utilise them wherever possible is what we’re about here.” She said.

Hundreds of jobs in Hay Point overhauls

Industry Queensland

Related News

Q3 turnaround for BHP on its Bowen Basin coal sites

Eloise marches through the Wet to bring home the parade

Bowen boosts Don Dash

Get access to breaking mining news, now.