PWCS EXPANSION - PROJECT T4
With increasing demands for coal exports, Port Waratah Coal Services (PWCS) has commenced the evaluation of an extension to its coal Kooragang terminal in the Port of Newcastle. The proposed extension, known as the Terminal 4 (T4) Project will seek to meet the increasing overseas demand for energy, the ongoing expansion of the coal industry in the Hunter Valley, and PWCS legal obligation to clients.
PWCS has a legal requirement to ensure sufficient terminal capacity to meet the long term needs of Hunter Valley coal producers, under the Long Term Commercial Framework (LTCF) which came into effect on 1 January 2010. The LTCF was authorised by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and was overseen by the NSW Government to address capacity bottlenecks that have hindered the Hunter Valley coal chain over recent years.
The T4 Project is also a critical element of the long term export plan signed by the Hunter Coal industry and the New South Wales Government in late 2009. Its function is to provide long-term vessel loading capacity for the Hunter Valley coal industry, once capacity at existing PWCS facilities and the new Newcastle Coal Infrastructure Group (NCIG) facility has been reached. The proposed T4 Project aims to meet the long term export demand, PWCS’ legal requirement and the long term export plan.
What will the T4 Project Involve?
The T4 Project Proposal will:
- Involve the development of approximately 310ha of industrial zoned land (including a former landfill) located west of the existing PWCS Kooragang Island operations (refer to figure);
- Include the construction of coal stockyards, rail facilities, marine side infrastructure (e.g. wharves) and shiploading facilities;
- Increase the annual coal export throughput of the Port of Newcastle by up to 120 Million tonnes per annum at full development; and
- Ensure sufficient terminal capacity to meet long term needs of coal producers.
PWCS has the opportunity to provide the Hunter region coal industry and the NSW Government with the certainty and efficiency it needs for increasing coal exports, and assisting in minimising the current Hunter coal chain bottlenecks, adding to the economic prosperity of the region and Australia.
For more information on the T4 Project see the links on this page:
|
