Australian miner BHP Billiton has announced that the new third berth has been officially opened at the Hay Point Coal Terminal in Queensland of its BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA) joint venture with Mitsubishi Development Pty Ltd. The new berth will increase the export capacity from 44 million mt per year to 55 million mt.
The Hay Point Coal Terminal third expansion project involved construction of a new berth and ship-loader alongside the existing two berths. The investment for the project totaled $3 billion.
In 2014-15 financial year, Queensland coal exports reached more than 219 million mt due to the benefits of large infrastructure investments.
“BMA is the world’s largest exporter of seaborne metallurgical coal and employs 9,000 local workers. The opening of the new berth is a significant milestone. Importantly, the increased capacity at the Hay Point Coal Terminal will enhance our ability to run an even more productive value chain,” stated Mike Henry, BHP Billiton’s coal president.