BHP Billiton's Western Australian branch has approved US$301 million in execution capital to replace two shiploaders at the Nelson Point port operations in Port Hedland.
"The two new shiploaders will increase the reliability of our inner harbour port facilities," said the company.
"Each shiploader has a loading capacity of 12,500 tonnes per hour. Existing shiploaders SL1 and SL2, which are more than 40 years old, currently load iron ore at a rate of approximately 10,000 tonnes per hour.
"This investment will also create additional port capacity that can be utilised as a series of de-bottlenecking initiatives increase the capacity of our Western Australia iron ore supply chain towards 270 million tonnes per annum at a low capital cost."
Commissioning of the two replacement shiploaders is scheduled for the second half of 2014.
