BHP BILLITON has accelerated plans that will expand the capacity of its 426 km railway from Newman to Port Hedland to 100 million net tonnes/year by the end of 2004. In the year ended June 30 2002 the line carried 71 million tonnes.
Announcing investment totalling A$77m on July 25, BHP Billiton’s President, Carbon Steel Materials, Bob Kirkby said rapid development of the Area C ore body plus the Products & Capacity Expansion project, provided ’a low cost, low risk means of maximising returns from the current strong iron ore market.’
Expansion at the port to handle 100 million tonnes is already in progress, and extension of the Yandi mine branch by 36 km to Area C is virtually complete (map p538). The first train will be loaded this month ahead of an official opening ceremony on October 30. The mine should be loading 15 million tonnes/year on rail within 15 months. Within the same timescale, a new 5 km conveyor feeding additional handling plant will expand annual output at Yandi from 38 to 42 million tonnes.
The PACE project, originally intended to meet the 100 million tonne target by 2011, will now do so by next year. Key rail components are 240 new ore cars and three new passing loops to accommodate extra trains.
