Balaclava Island Coal Terminal
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Balaclava Island Coal Terminal was a proposed new export coal terminal which was investigated by Xstrata Coal Queensland, a wholly owned subsidiary of Xstrata Coal. The proposal was initially referred to by the company as the "Port Alma Coal Exporting Terminal"[1] but by 2010 had been renamed the Balaclava Island Coal Terminal. [2]
Plans for the terminal were officially cancelled in May 2013.[3]
Contents
Location
Balaclava Island is located approximately 40 kilometres north of Gladstone.
Project Details
- Sponsor: Xstrata Coal Queensland Pty Ltd
- Annual Capacity (Tonnes): 35 million (proposed)
- Status: Cancelled
History
In July 2008 Xstrata Coal announced that it would undertake a pre-feasibility study for a coal export port for up to 20 million tonnes of coal per annum. The study, the company stated, would be completed by June 30, 2009.[1] By March 2010, the company referred to the proposal for a 35 million tonne per annum coal terminal.[2]
In a March 2010 newsletter the company stated that "in August 2008, XCQ commissioned consultants GHD to conduct environmental impact assessment studies to explore the viability for development of a proposed coal terminal in the vicinity of Port Alma. Following a range of desktop and field investigations, the project team determined that the most suitable location for the proposed coal terminal was on Balaclava Island. Subsequently, the project has been re-named as the Balaclava Island Coal Export Terminal Project."[4]
The company stated that the proposed project included the development of:[5]
- A new rail spur from the existing North Coast railway line
- A coal stockyard facility
- An overland conveyor to safely transport coal from the stockyard to the ship loading facility; and
- A new ship loading facility on Balaclava Island."
Two weeks after the Glencore-Xstrata merger in early May 2013 it was announced that the company had stopped work on the proposed 35 million tonnes per annum Balaclava Island Coal Terminal. In a statement the company stated that "this decision has been made as a result of the poor current market conditions in the Australian coal industry, excess port capacity in Queensland, specific shipping limitations and concerns about the industry's medium-term outlook.[6] The proposed terminal was one of the export terminals being investigated to cater for the Wandoan coal project.
Articles and resources
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Xstrta Coal, "Xstrata Coal commits to Port Alma pre-feasibility study", Media Release, July 2008.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Xstrata Coal to seek community input for proposed coal export terminal at Balaclava Island", Media Release, March 22, 2010.
- ↑ "Balaclava Island Coal Export Terminal", Queensland Government Department of State Development, Infrastructure and Planning, accessed January 2015.
- ↑ Xstrata Coal, "Balaclava Island Coal Export Terminal Project Community Newsletter 2 (Formerly Port Alma Coal Export Terminal Project)", March 2010, page 1.
- ↑ Xstrata Coal, "Balaclava Island Coal Export Terminal Project Community Newsletter 2 (Formerly Port Alma Coal Export Terminal Project)", March 2010, page 1.
- ↑ "Glencore Xstrata to scrap plans for Australia coal export terminal", Reuters, May 13, 2013.
Related SourceWatch articles
External resources
- "Abbot Point", North Queensland Bulk Ports Corporation website
