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Newcastle Coal Infrastructure Group coal terminal back to full capacity for first time since November 2020

OPERATIONS at the Newcastle Coal Infrastructure Group (NIG) terminal on Kooragang Island have returned to normal after a shiploader damaged in a storm last November was returned to service.

NCIG had been running on a single shiploader since the storm, limiting the amount of coal it could move through its three berths.

As an indication of the impact on the NCIG operation, Australian Bureau of Statistics figures showed it shipped 53.4 million tonnes of coal last year, or half of the 106 million tonnes shipped from Kooragang and Port Waratah by Newcastle’s other operator, Port Waratah Coal Services.

This year, on only one ship loader, NCIG had moved just 15.7 million tonnes to the end of June, or a third of the 46.5 million tonnes handled by PWCS.

The storm hit Newcastle on Monday, November 16, and blew the ship loader of the rails it runs along on the Kooragang Island berths.

The reduced capacity has limited the amount of coal that its customers can ship at times when prices are at record levels, but the resultant shortage is also credited by industry watchers as a factor in driving up prices in the first place.

When the damage was first assessed, NCIG told the market it expected the repairs to take until the fourth quarter of this year, which starts in October.

Chief executive Aaron Johansen said this week that the “outstanding work” of its recovery team, together with “localised procurement” of steel fabrication, cut the recovery time.

“We owe thanks to the men and women on the team, and to the many local companies and experts they collaborated with to bring the shiploader back into service ahead of schedule,” Mr Johansen said.

Mr Johansen said the return of the second ship loader meant the NCIG terminal was capable of operating to its licensed capacity of 66 million tonnes of coal a year.

The Australian Coal Report said this week that NCIG had 11 ships waiting to load, and Port Waratah Coal Services another 50.

The ABS figures show the Port Kembla loader had shipped 3.2 million tonnes to June 30, making a NSW total for the half year of 65.4 million tonnes

About 80 per cent of NSW coal exports have been thermal coal for power stations, with the remainder being coking coal for steelmaking.
Source: Newcastle Herald

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