Following the success of T-Port’s Lucky Bay Grain terminal, the company has started to build another facility nearby. ABHR speaks to Mark Antushka, General Manager Construction for T-Ports to find out more.
Located on the shores of the Spencer Gulf, on South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula, is the Lucky Bay grain storage and export facility, operated by T-Ports.
The facility, which features 24,000 tonnes of grain storage in steel silos at the port, sits on the edge of a shallow water bay and provides an alternative export option for the local growers in the region. In addition, a nearby bunker storage site provides 360,000 tonnes of grain storage across 10 bunkers, and a strategically located bunker site at Lock, on central Eyre Peninsula, offers 140,000 tonnes of grain storage.
A transhipment vessel, named the Lucky Eyre, loads grain from the port to move it onto deep water vessels five nautical miles from the port. The 87-metre self-propelled and self-discharging vessel has the capacity to load up to 13,800 tonnes per day.
Mark Antushka, General Manager Construction for T-Ports, says this method of transhipment has not previously been used for Australian grain exports and eliminates the need for major jetty structures and other port infrastructure.
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“Fully laden, the vessel only required 4.2 metres of water, meaning it can operate in relatively shallow conditions,” he says.
“Shallow water ports have a much lower environmental footprint, reducing the ecological disturbance in comparison to deep water facilities, and significantly lower capital expenditure.
“Due to the port being located close to the product, these facilities substantially reduce the road haulage distances, reducing the cost to government for road repairs and maintenance and reducing carbon dioxide emissions considerably.”
To build on the success of the Lucky Bay operation, T-Ports began planning to build a new facility across the gulf at Wallaroo, in a project funded by the ICAM ACIF Infrastructure Trust. The grain export facility will add another half a million tonnes of grain storage to the region.
Planning for the second port in the T-Ports operating network has been underway for several years, and included significant scoping studies of the coastal environment, shoreline, inland freight networks and economic feasibility to ensure the port’s long-term sustainability.
After the initial designs were finalised, four specialised companies were approached to help build the project, with the final contract awarded to Allied Grain Systems.
Antushka says Allied Grain Systems ticked all the boxes for T-Ports.
“Allied Grain Systems specialise in structural and mechanical engineering and have a strong track record of project management with a number of Tier One clients for similar agricultural facilities,” he says.
“The company has its own inhouse engineering team that considers the value engineering process very seriously, working in a partnership with the client to ensure the fit for purpose solution is provided to meet a fixed budget.”
Allied Grain Systems will work closely with T-Ports to provide the right equipment and infrastructure for the project. Two silos will provide 20,500 tonnes of storage at the port itself with around 240,000 tonnes of storage nearby at a bunker site, along with a 500 metre rock causeway with a conveyor to a shiploader to load the transhipment vessel.
The silos will be fully sealed to allow for fumigation and will be connected to two hoppers with an intake of 500 tonnes per hour each. The belt conveyor across the top of the silos is an enclosed Hi Roller belt conveyor, with dust filters equipped at each transfer point to minimise dust emissions.
Another benefit Antushka outlines is the highly automated nature of the facility, which will be managed through one of Allied Grain Systems’ contractors, Bitwise.
Construction of the facility is expected to take between 12 and 18 months, with around 200 jobs expected to be created during this time.
Kieran Carvill, T-Ports Chief Executive Officer, says there are efficiencies and cost savings in building the Wallaroo port on the opposite side of the Spencer Gulf to Lucky Bay.
“The port at Wallaroo is the logical next step in the T-Ports journey following the successful first harvest and export season at Lucky Bay on the Eyre Peninsula,” he said.
“We’re looking forward to offering competition for growers in the Yorke Peninsula and Mid North regions and delivering significant supply chain savings.
“The feedback we’ve received to date has been very positive with growers looking forward to competition in the market. Growers appreciate the need to increase competition in the state’s supply chains which will ultimately benefit them.”
T-Ports expects the Wallaroo port and bunker site to employ up to 60 people, with some of these being casuals during peak periods such as harvest and shipping outturn.
Early site works, including demolition and civil works, are set to begin at the site in November, following South Australian Infrastructure and Transport Minister Corey Wingard approving the project for Crown Development status. T-Ports expects the facility will be operational and ready to receive grain from the 2021/22 harvest.
Carvill says the use of disruptive state-of-the-art technology provided an alternative for infrastructure projects in South Australia.
“South Australian grain growers are the first to benefit from our innovative transhipment technology positioning port infrastructure close to a product’s origin,” he says.
“Having a larger number of regional shallow-water ports, rather than transporting commodities to city ports on trucks or trains, makes sense.
“Anyone looking to market their product efficiently is strongly encouraged to get in touch with the T-Ports team to speak to us about how we can deliver an efficient, cost-effective export pathway.
“We can offer project financing, skills and knowledge in planning, designing, engineering, building and operating port and vessel infrastructure for customers.
“T-Ports is committed to building infrastructure enabling growth in South Australia and is proud to be part of the state’s economic recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic.”