McConnell Dowell Awarded Construction Scope on BMA's Hay Point Coal Terminal

McConnell Dowell is pleased to announce that they have been awarded a contract by BHP Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA) to undertake the main berth construction scope for the Shiploader and Berth Replacement (SABR) Project at BMA’s Hay Point Coal Terminal.

The SABR project is a brownfields project located within the lease boundaries of the existing Hay Point Coal Terminal near Mackay, Queensland.

The project includes the disassembly and replacement of one of the existing Shiploaders and Berths to replace and renew aging infrastructure, improve materials handling throughput, and provide improved cyclonic wave immunity.

The scope of the contact awarded to McConnell Dowell encompasses:

Off-site fabrication of new berth topside modules;
On-site preparatory works including modification of the existing concrete caisson berth foundations;
Disassembly and removal of the existing berth and ship loader;
Installation of the new berth modules, tie-in and commissioning; and
Installation of the new ship loader (SL2A).

The award of this contract follows a twelve-month collaborative Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) process led by BMA and involving design engineer Aurecon, and McConnell Dowell.

In reflecting on the award, McConnell Dowell’s Australian Managing Director, Jim Frith, welcomed the collaborative approach embraced by BMA for the project saying:

“Working collaboratively with our customer and their designer enabled us to add value through smarter, safer and more constructable solutions.

“The adoption of a fully modularised fabrication and installation methodology, and use of heavy lift vessel (HLV) for both demolition and construction phases, has significant safety, cost and schedule benefits to our customer.”

“The integrated team focused on engineering out, or controlling risks through elimination or substitution. For example, we have been able to develop a construction approach that eliminates the need for our workforce to travel to the workfront by marine vessel. That’s not just a huge safety benefit, but decreases significant downtime and eliminates weather risks.”

The project schedule sees the first activity on site (establishment of temporary facilities) happening in late 2021. The shutdown work associated with the main shiploader and berth replacement works on site will commence in March 2022 with a duration of approximately 16 months.