Car Dumper 3 Renewal, Port Hedland, WA, Australia
Aurecon provides engineering expertise for BHP’s Car Dumper 3 renewal at Port Hedland, delivering faster, safer, and more sustainable iron ore operations.
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Investment in marine precincts is key for Australia’s economic prosperity, export potential and national security. Limited availability of waterfront land, wharf length and constrained deep water access at Cairns Marine Precinct is currently affecting the region’s ability to capitalise on the anticipated growth in demand for maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services.
Proposed new infrastructure is being planned to expand the site as an MRO destination for commercial, Defence and recreational activities. It is one of the few Australian ports able to offer both in-water and landside facility maintenance for Defence.
Ports North appointed Aurecon to design and support procurement of an early works package for the marine precinct. Subsequently, Queensland's Department of State Development and Infrastructure engaged Aurecon to contribute to the detailed business case for a common user facility (CUF).
The MRO expansion will assist local industry to remain competitive for Defence and maritime contracts, while continuing to meet the increasing demands of more general maritime activities. For instance, it would enable the dry-docking of multiple large vessels simultaneously, and provide specialist facilities for blasting and painting, with more wet berth capacity for maintenance activities.
It would also leverage the growth in the tourism vessel and superyacht sector, particularly in the lead-up to the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The improved facility is also expected to attract and promote the retention of skilled workers, as well as provide educational opportunities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics for students at local tertiary institutions.
All of these opportunities will help strengthen and diversify the economy of Far North Queensland. The precinct’s proposed expansion to its MRO offering and as a centre of excellence in Australia’s maritime industry has received support from both the Queensland and Federal governments.
Aurecon’s marine, industrial, structural, civil, hydraulic, environmental, geotechnical and advisory specialists were instrumental in the structural and services designs, and in obtaining the associated approvals to undertake the works.
Key initiatives included detailing precast works to negate the need for assembling temporary structures over water, and the use of seismic surveys to map offshore ground conditions without the need for offshore drilling. Furthermore, Aurecon assisted Ports North through the procurement stage of appointing contractors to complete the onsite construction works. This included the role of project manager and superintendent, with a full-time on-site inspecting engineer.
This early work by Ports North assisted the detailed business case process by further developing marine capability in the Port of Cairns as additional support for a proposed common user facility.
Aurecon provided technical input and analysis in support of the detailed business case prepared by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) that investigated the potential to develop a maritime common user facility.
The aim was to enhance the infrastructure capacity and capabilities of the proposed precinct, optimise the use of waterfront land, and position the proposed precinct to secure emerging Defence and commercial marine opportunities. Stage 1 of the facility is proposed to include a 5,000 tonne shiplift, two blast and paint facilities, additional wet berth capacity, and hardstand areas for vessels up to 120 m in length.
As part of the business case preparation, Aurecon developed a concept design for the landside and marine works from an environmental and technical perspective (including indicative costs). The site’s initial works and technical investigations were also identified.
The final business case determined that by increasing the capacity and capabilities of the precinct, the necessary infrastructure would be in place to secure commercial marine opportunities, support Defence preparedness requirements, and realise the strategic vision of maintaining large marine vessels for local industries.
Aurecon has subsequently been appointed by Queensland's Department of State Development and Infrastructure to undertake technical investigations into site conditions, develop an approvals management framework and strategy, together with an infrastructure assessment and dredge management study. The work will be used to review the assumptions included in the detailed business case and to inform a future reference design package of works.
Aurecon provides engineering expertise for BHP’s Car Dumper 3 renewal at Port Hedland, delivering faster, safer, and more sustainable iron ore operations.
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