BBC Chartering Delivers Iron Bridge Cargo

By Malcolm Ramsay

Multipurpose shipping group BBC Chartering recently completed first transport of heavy-lift steel module structures, as part of Australia’s "Iron Bridge" magnetite project.

The complex project involves shipment of multiple cargoes from China to Port Hedland in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, with multiple heavy-lifts of up to 300 tonnes, as part of the country’s largest magnetite mine development.

“There are big lifts, and large intakes, but this is our bread-and-butter and normal life for BBC Chartering's operations and technical departments,” Alex Wellington, business development manager at the firm’s Singapore office told Breakbulk. “The biggest 'challenges' have really all been Covid related and many of the additional restrictions that the 'new normal' has imposed on our operations have added to both impacts in time and to costs.”

The largest JORC Code-compliant magnetite resource in Australia, Iron Bridge is a vast mine, located 145 kilometers south of Port Hedland that broke ground in 2019. (JORC covers Australia's mineral resources and ore reserves). BBC Chartering was contracted early in the project, by developers NMT Global Project Logistics and Fortescue Metals Group (FMG) to deliver 600,000 revenue tons of cargo to a tight deadline, targeting first production at the site in December 2022.

Complicating matters for BBC Chartering, Covid-related restrictions resulted in a slowdown in loading and berthing as well as limiting the availability of vessel pilots and stevedores. Restrictions also substantially raised costs, with additional quarantine constraints necessitating isolation of stevedores, individual lashing gangs and deviation of vessel for crew change.

“These challenges were handled through the skilful liaison and teamwork that BBC Shanghai led by Danny Xue, general manager at BBC Chartering Shanghai Rep Office, along with NMT's local China reps, have been able to coordinate with all the different stakeholders and government departments in the province of Nantong,” Wellington explained.

Drawing on BBC’s extensive fleet, the team was also able to commit two dedicated vessels to the project – the BBC Topaz and BBC Pearl. These ships ran consecutive shipments from Nantong to Port Hedland and have now been joined by a third, the BBC Kibo.

“Having consecutive shipments on the same vessels has significantly reduced the risk that Covid, crew and operational challenges and changes present,” Wellington added.


Multiple Lifting Points

Prior to loading the first cargo in China, BBC Chartering’s resident port captain in Wison conducted a comprehensive review of the loading requirements and log of the varied dimensions of equipment.

“Cargo composition is varied, with shipment volumes ranging from 18,000 to 32,000 cubic meters,” a spokesperson for the BBC team said. “This includes lengths up to 43 meters, widths of 15 meters and cargo heights of 40 meters, which in extreme cases we transport horizontally.”

Among the largest of these outsized items were the larger "Wet Plant Modules," which each measured about 5,500 cubic meters and weighed an average of 250 tonnes.

“In terms of lifting equipment, we have fabricated custom-lifting frames in order to accommodate the multiple lifting points that the engineering teams require,” the BBC spokesperson added. “But so far the maximum lift is 315 tonnes, which is well inside the lifting capacity of the BBC Amber class vessels, which is 800 tonnes, or 2 x 400 tonnes SWL (safe working load).”

To aid the loading and discharge of these giant pieces, custom beams and spreaders ere positioned both in the load port at Wison Nantong and also in Port Hedland where they were used by BBC Chartering’s stevedore Qube.


Lumsden Point

Alongside the complex coordination required for the shipment of this huge volume of cargo, BBC has also been closely involved in a key upgrade to Port Hedland infrastructure, the construction of a new multipurpose berth at Lumsden Point. The arrival of the BBC Pearl laden with Iron Bridge cargo also marked the first cargo vessel at the site since it became officially operational last month.

Roger Johnston, chief executive of the Pilbara Ports Authority, hailed the delivery as a milestone and predicted the hub will support “the ongoing development of battery mineral mines, as well as providing opportunities for expanding agribusiness and proposed renewable energy projects in the Pilbara.”

The long-awaited development will create a new breakbulk logistics hub, with product storage laydown areas, heavy duty pavements, sheds and warehouses, conveyors and materials handling infrastructure, truck marshalling areas, vehicle wash down and a weighbridge.

“The future development of Lumsden Point remains a strategic priority for the Pilbara Ports Authority and government,” a spokesperson for Pilbara Ports said, adding that alongside the construction of two new multi-user berths the work will require “dredging of channel access and turning basins” and construction of “a central access road and services corridor.”

To assist this development, BBC has provided layout plans, HSEQ working guidelines, general vessel arrangements, Covid protocols, and multiple stowage scenarios for the project to date. In addition, mooring concepts and procedures have been reviewed by BBC for a number of vessel types in various weather conditions.

While Lumsden Point is now officially open, much work was still in progress during offload by BBC Chartering, causing some additional issues for the team. Wellington of BBC noted: “At Lumsden Point, the narrow approach and berthing pocket – not to mention the limited discharge area – presents a number of challenges particularly for large modules being discharged onto SPMT's.”

To tackle this, some cargo needs to be "walked" up the approaching vessel and then swung counter-clockwise to the discharge location. Vessels can also potentially "warp" back and forth along the berth and maintenance of tag and heaving lines on cargo during the placement on SPMT's is a further challenge.”

Once complete and fully ramped up, the Iron Bridge mine is expected to deliver 22 million tonnes per annum of high-grade 67 percent Fe magnetite concentrate. The development is bound by the JORC Code, or Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves, which sets strict standards and codes for operations and public reporting as well as ensuring best practices are adhered to throughout the project lifecycle.