A development application for port facilities designed for iron ore shipments from IronClad Mining’s new Wilcherry Hill mine in South Australia has been approved by the South Australian Government. This concludes all the processes required to commence construction of infrastructure at the existing Lucky Bay port, near the township of Cowell on the coast of the Spencer Gulf, and permits future iron ore exports via the new Eyre Peninsula facilities.
IronClad’s iron ore export facilities – which open up a new multi-user shipping avenue for South Australian exporters – include iron ore storage at the port.
In a “first” for South Australia, IronClad will initially use the Lucky Bay facility to transport iron ore from this port to ships anchored offshore adjacent to the port. IronClad’s growth plans could potentially upgrade this system to incorporate the innovative concept of a floating harbour, with suitable holding warehouses for the ore, both on land and at sea. Cape-sized vessels with a carrying capacity of up to 150,000 t could then be loaded with iron ore from the floating harbour, which would potentially be owned and operated by IronClad.
IronClad has an agreement with Sea Transport Development SA Pty (SEATS) for full access rights to the designated 50-ha port site at Lucky Bay, where it will store and ship iron ore from its Wilcherry Hill and Hercules projects. The company has a 50-year lease to this facility and the accompanying land within the 50-ha site.
“We are most appreciative of the South Australian Government’s expeditious approval of this Development Application for another vital piece of SA mining infrastructure,” IronClad Mining Managing Director, Wayne Richards, said today. For IronClad, development approval for the port facility finalises the cmpany’s requirements for an ‘end-to-end’ logistics supply chain for the ore produced from our Wilcherry Hill Project, and has the potential to be expanded to accommodate the ore from our larger Hercules Project currently under review,” he said.
“The port facility will provide an important export point not only for IronClad, but for other potential mining companies and exporters in the region. Further, the facility will provide an economic and viable export option (in a timely manner), for the development of our projects, and will stimulate economic growth and employment opportunities within the area.”
Richards said the company’s transhipment operations would involve the utilisation of a customised motorised feeder barge that will transport the ore from the Lucky Bay loading facilities to the awaiting ships. Future transhipment upgrades will consider the incorporation of a floating harbour facility anchored offshore, or the utilisation of a floating crane. Both designs will significantly increase the ship loading rates whilst reducing port operating charges and barge cycle times.
“The construction of the first purpose-built barge for the transhipment of ore is well advanced, with the vessel scheduled to arrive in South Australia early in the third quarter of this calendar year,” Richards said.
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