BlueScope has support for its plan to upgrade its raw materials berths at Port Kembla Harbour, which the company says will be necessary once coal stops being supplied from the Dendrobium mine as early as November next year.
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The steelmaker has said its Commodity Logistics and Import Project was necessary to ensure raw materials could be brought in once the No.6 Blast Furnace reline had been completed.
It has won support from environmental agencies and Transport for NSW, which raised no significant objections to the plan.
NSW Ports supported the project, which it said met its strategic objectives of growing the port's capacity.
"Port Kembla is a key infrastructure asset for NSW and an economic driver in the Illawarra region," its submission said.
"Port Kembla currently accommodates a range of dry bulk, bulk liquid and general cargoes. It is home to NSW's largest motor vehicle import hub and grain export terminal, and is the second largest coal export port in NSW.
"Port Kembla will be the next container port to service NSW. The diversification and strengthening of trade at Port Kembla is of vital importance and benefit to the people of NSW and the Illawarra."
Wollongong City Council said its concerns about the impact on the local road network had been dealt with by BlueScope's Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).
The council had raised concerns about "chain reactions with cumulative hazardous operations" nearby at the port, but was satisfied BlueScope's preliminary hazard analysis showed these could be "controlled with the nominated safeguards".
BlueScope's application linked the upgrade to the No.6 blast furnace upgrade, saying "recent and emerging disruptions to key commodity supply chains" showed the importance of this project.
"In particular, without the proposed upgrade, the berths will not be able to accommodate the increase in capacity which BlueScope will require to import the additional quantities of premium hard coking coal needed to replace 3-seam coal from South32's Dendrobium mine, located in the Illawarra and currently transported by rail, once local supply ceases as early as November 2024," it stated.
"The current ship unloading infrastructure located at the berths is approximately 50 years old.
"By investing in state-of-the-art commodity handling facilities on these berths, BlueScope is ensuring its blast furnace operations will have security of raw material supply now and well into the future."
The application is being assessed as State Significant Infrastructure.
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