Pilbara News

A feasibility study has highlighted the potential for using clean ammonia to refuel ships, particularly iron ore carriers, visiting the Pilbara region of Western Australia.The study, commissioned by Yara Clean Ammonia (Yara) and Pilbara Ports, was undertaken by Lloyd's Register, and looked at key areas including the estimated demand and likely availability of ammonia as a replacement shipping fuel. The potential risks and regulatory requirements for ammonia bunkering at the ports…

A joint study into ammonia safety onboard ships undertaken by the Lloyd’s Register (LR) Maritime Decarbonisation Hub and the Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping (MMMCZCS), has found that a range of mitigation methods, from ship design to crew training and operations, are required to keep toxicity risks to crew within published tolerable limits.‘Recommendations for Design and Operation of Ammonia-Fuelled Vessels based on Multi-disciplinary Risk Analysis' presents a study of the effectiveness of risk mitigation measures in three ammonia-fueled vessels – a container ship…

An interim report from an ongoing Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) investigation has detailed the sequence of events of a loaded iron ore carrier’s grounding in a channel while departing Port Hedland, Western Australia in 2022.The interim report details factual information but contains no analysis or findings.In the early hours of April 9, Liberian-flagged bulk carrier Hagen Oldendorff departed its berth at Port Hedland, with a harbour pilot onboard. About 50 minutes after departure…

A tropical cyclone smashed into Australia's northwest coast as a category 5 storm, setting new wind speed records, but has largely spared populated regions including the world's largest iron ore export hub at Port Hedland, authorities said on Friday. Cyclone Ilsa made landfall early Friday morning with the highest intensity rating on a 1-to 5 scale and then moved inland as emergency crews urged several remote communities along the storm's path to seek shelter and remain indoors."Port Hedland ... escaped the brunt of the cyclone at this stage.

The Australian government has released its annual State of Hydrogen report, saying it reinforces that Australia has the foundations to become a global leader in green hydrogen.The report illustrates local industry is advancing hydrogen as a chemical feedstock and for export to generate electricity, but there’s an urgent need to speed up priority pilot projects and hydrogen hubs to compete internationally.In 2022, more than 100 Australian green hydrogen projects such as green ammonia and green methanol manufacturing were announced.

Rio Tinto forecast slightly weaker-than-expected 2022 iron ore shipments on Tuesday, citing tight labor market conditions and production delays from the new greenfields mine at Gudai-Darri project.The world's biggest iron ore producer said it expects to ship between 320 million and 335 million tonnes (Mt) in 2022 from the Pilbara region in Western Australia, a forecast with a mid-point below RBC estimate of 332 Mt and UBS' estimate of between 330 Mt and 340 Mt.Rio shipped 321.6 Mt of the steel-making commodity last year…

Australian mining giant BHP has taken two KOTUG's tugs on long-term charters to support bulk carrier loadings at Port Hedland, Australia.KOTUG, a Dutch marine services and towage company, said Thursday, its new build Rotortugs RT Imperieuse and RT Clerke had arrived in Port Hedland.Both 32m ART80-32 tugs, built at Cheoy Lee Shipyard, have three Caterpillar main engines, that deliver a total output of 5,295kW each, 13 knots sailing speed, and 80 tons bollard pull power. They are equipped with advanced DMT Escort Winches.

The Baltic Exchange's main sea freight index eased on Thursday, but still gained about 53% for the quarter on the back of robust demand for dry bulk vessels, especially capesizes.The overall index, which factors in rates for capesize, panamax, supramax and handysize vessels, fell 30 points, to 5,167, from the 13-year peak it scaled on Wednesday.Most of the quarterly gains were driven by the strength in the capesize segment, which transports 150,000-tonne cargoes such as iron ore and coal.

KOTUG Australia Pty Ltd  (KOTUG) and WESTUG PTY Ltd (Westug) have successfully concluded an agreement to re-shape the towage services for Pilbara Marine, a subsidiary of Fortescue Metals Group (Fortescue) in Port Hedland. The service includes the operation of nine state of the art Rotortugs at Port Hedland, which have been servicing Fortescue and other port users since the commencement of operations in 2019.After almost three years of working together to successfully establish the towage service for Fortescue in Port Hedland…

Benchmark Asian iron ore futures rose on Thursday as data showed monthly shipments of the steelmaking ingredient to China from Australia's Port Hedland dropped to the lowest in two years.Shipments from Port Hedland, the world's biggest iron ore export hub, totalled 30.73 million tonnes in February, when top steel producer China typically imports less due to the Lunar New Year holidays.That is the lowest since March 2019 and compares with 35.6 million tonnes in January and 33.3 million tonnes in February last year…

Iron ore shipments to China from Australia's Port Hedland rose by 16% in December from a month earlier, despite a short weather-related shutdown, the Pilbara Ports Authority said on Friday. Iron ore exports to China rose to 40.0 million tonnes from 34.44 million tonnes in November, data from the authority showed. Total iron ore exports from Port Hedland rose to 46.5 million tonnes from 41.61 million tonnes in November. Strong shipments from the world's largest iron ore export…

As the maritime community collectively fights to reduce emissions, RightShip and Pilbara Ports Authority have developed a pilot program that allows ports around the world to review their emissions profiles and develop management strategies. After partnering with The Australian Marine Environment Protection Association (AUSMEPA), and winning a $250,000 Google Impact grant in 2016, RightShip and AUSMEPA have developed a Maritime Emissions Portal (MEP), which will provide leading emissions inventory data to ports around the world.Available now for commercial use…

Australian defense personnel are being deployed to Port Hedland, one of the world’s largest iron ore loading ports, to help contain a coronavirus outbreak on a bulk carrier that last changed crews in the major seafaring city of Manila.Seventeen of the 21 crew from the Patricia Oldendorff carrier have tested positive for the virus, ship owner Oldendorff Carriers said in a statement.Ten of the infected crew members have been moved to hotel quarantine, and seven remain on board as part of a nine-person crew, authorities said.Oldendorff said the crew change on September 5 in Manila complied with all protocols.“All crew members tested negative for the virus before leaving the Philippines…

The success of the first lines boat / utility vessel Dongara Marine built for Jetwave Marine led the Western Australian marine services provider to acquire a second.Jetwave Nelson Point is the latest addition to Jetwave Marine’s owned and operated fleet, which includes nearly 30 specialized commercial vessels including harbor tugs, barges, multi-cats, utility / crew boats, and port service craft. These cater to the requirements of clients in the oil and gas, and resource industries Australia-wide.Designed by Southerly Designs…

Miner BHP Group said on Tuesday it plans to expand its iron ore export capacity from Port Hedland, the largest global shipping hub for the steel-making commodity, by up to 40 million tonnes a year to 330 million tonnes a year.The move comes as improvements across BHP’s supply chain have opened the way to raise shipments if market conditions allow, Tim Day, BHP’s Acting Asset President Western Australia Iron Ore, said in a statement.The company has begun community consultation…

The Western Australian Minister for Ports, the Hon. Alannah MacTiernan MLC opened the expanded facilities of HR Wallingford’s new Australia Ship Simulation Center.HR Wallingford has added two new purpose-built simulators to its center in Fremantle, bringing the total number of simulators that it owns and operates there to six. This makes it one of the largest ship simulation centers in Australia and allows a full maneuvering team (including pilots, tug masters and vessel traffic service (VTS) operators) to conduct integrated and immersive full port scenarios.In her speech…

Australia's Pilbara Ports Authority has delivered a total annual throughput of 697.2 million tonnes (Mt) for the 2018/19 financial year. This result is a less than 1% change (decrease of 2.06 million tonnes) from last year’s record annual throughput.In June 2019, Pilbara Ports Authority achieved a total monthly throughput of 64Mt, a 1% increase on the same month in 2018. Iron ore throughput for June 2019 increased 2% from June 2018, to 60.2Mt. Total iron ore throughput for 2018/19 was 647.8Mt, a 1% decrease on 2017/18.The Port of Port Hedland achieved a total annual throughput of 513.3Mt, a decrease of 1% from the previous year. Annual iron ore exports totalled 506.6Mt…

Australia's largest iron ore loading port of Port Hedland, operated by Pilbara Ports Authority, has delivered a total monthly throughput of 62.1 million tonnes (Mt) for the month of August 2019. This throughput was a 6% increase compared to the same month in 2018. The total throughput for the 2019/20 financial year to date is 118.8Mt, an increase of 4% from the same time last year. The Port of Port Hedland achieved a monthly throughput of 46.1Mt, of which 45.4Mt was iron ore exports. The monthly throughput was a 7% increase from August 2018. Imports through the Port of Port Hedland totalled 180,000 tonnes, an increase of 61% from the same month in 2018. The Port of Dampier delivered a total monthly throughput of 14.9Mt, an increase of 4% from August 2018.

With the successful start an important milestone has been reached in the execution of the contract to operate the tugboat fleet for Fortescue Metals Group (Fortescue) in Port Hedland, a bulk export port on Australia´s west coast. The fleet consists of eight new ART 85-32W and one RT80-32 Rotortugs. Six of them are Fortescue owned, three are owned by KOTUG, which are chartered directly to Fortescue. KOTUG manages the entire contract.Port Hedland in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, is the site of the highest tonnage port in Australia.

World's largest solar project proposed in Australia, connected to South East Asia via subsea cable.Singapore-based Sun Cable has proposed a 10 GW solar farm near Tenant Creek in Australia, with facilities to export electricity via a subsea High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) cable straight to Singapore.Rystad Energy said that the proposed renewable energy project will provide one fifth of Singapore’s electricity needs.In terms of size, the only solar project of a similar scale in Australia is the Asian Renewable Energy Hub which plans to supply a regional load to the Pilbara region, as well as green hydrogen for both international and…

Jan De Nul Group completed the capital dredging works for the Channel Risk and Optimization Project (CROP) in Port Hedland, Western Australia, and can look back on a successful three-year cooperation with the Pilbara Ports Authority (PPA).Over the past three years a combination of Hopper Dredgers, a Cutter Suction Dredger and Split Hopper Barges were deployed to dredge sections of the 42-km long navigational channel and to further enhance the safe and sustainable access to the port of Port Hedland.

Iron ore shipments to China from Australia's Port Hedland terminal, the world's biggest iron ore port, fell more than 5% in September from a month earlier, port data showed on Tuesday.Shipments to China totalled 36.05 million tonnes in September, down from 38.14 million tonnes in August, the Pilbara Ports Authority said.Overall iron ore shipments totalled 41.97 million tonnes in September, down more 7% from 45.43 million tonnes in August.Port Hedland is used by three of Australia's top four iron ore miners: BHP Group, Fortescue Metals Group and Gina Rinehart's Roy Hill.Reporting by Colin Packh

China's iron ore futures extended gains on Friday after touching a record high in the previous session, as concerns persisted over tight supply amid declining shipment from Rio Tinto and expectations of strong demand.Mining giant Rio Tinto on Wednesday night lowered its guidance on volumes of iron ore it expects to ship from the key Pilbara producing region in Australia for the third time since April.It now puts the upper limit as much as 5.7% under its original forecast, giving…