Port Hedland Preps for Iron Ore Transport Growth

Australia’s largest bulk export port, Port Hedland, is set to receive a new marine control tower and operations centre as part of a USD 70 million upgrade.

By 2018, the Western Australian Government expects around 6,000 vessels to pass through the port every year, most of them shipping iron ore.

The new centre will cater for the harbour master operations, dredging management, port security, vessel traffic services and equipment, marine pilot briefing facilities and incident control. The existing Port Hedland control tower, built more than 45 years ago, will be demolished as part of the upgrade.

The new marine control tower and operations centre are due to be operational in early 2018.

The Port of Port Hedland achieved a record annual throughput of 446.9 Mt for the 2015 financial year, an increase of 74.6 Mt or 20% from the previous year.

Iron ore exports for the year totalled in 439.6 Mt, an increase of 21% from the previous year. The port also achieved a record monthly throughput of 38.8 Mt in June, 2015, an increase of 4.5 Mt or 13% from the same month last year.

Iron ore exports in June totalled 38.3 Mt, an increase of 4.7 Mt or 14% from the same time last year.