Broken Hill’s Hawson Iron Project secures Port access through Port Pirie

The proposed Hawsons Iron Project joint venture, 60km southwest of Broken Hill, has secured port access for up to 12 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) of iron ore concentrate through the existing berths at Port Pirie  in South Australia and has also been granted foundation customer status.

Flinders Ports and the joint venture have agreed to jointly fund a rail-port-marine study into the best option for exporting 10-20mtpa of iron ore to 180,000t vessels (Cape size) through Port Pirie.

Under the agreement the Hawsons joint venture will have a first right of refusal for export of up to 12mtpa of iron ore concentrate through this port, conditional upon further study cooperation between the parties.

The Hawsons project is 60 per cent owned by Carpentaria Exploration and 40 per cent owned by Pure Metals.

Caprentaria Managing Director, Quentin Hill said “Gaining port access is a very significant and important step in the development of Hawsons as the cornerstone
of a long lasting, premium iron business. It provides another key element of infrastructure certainty for the project. This is a current focus for the joint venture and we will continue to deliver.

“This agreement not only secures access, it will provide for the right option to increase the capacity of the port with great potential benefits for Port Pirie” Mr Hill said.

The study will investigate the best option for iron ore concentrate export through Port Pirie including rail unloading, transfer of concentrate to the port, likely by
conveyor, and then ship loading using barges. It will also increase engineering detail and certainty at the port to a level consistent with the other aspects of the project.

Stewart Lammin, General Manager of Flinders Ports said, “We are working with Carpentaria to provide a port solution that is right for the project, the environment and the community of Port Pirie.”

It is expected the study will commence within the month and take up to four months to complete.

The agreement for port access consolidates the significant infrastructure advantages of the Hawsons Iron project that are key to its early development. The JV has recently confirmed the presence of a viable water supply, another critical project element. In addition, the nearby, open access, power and rail lines have sufficient spare capacity to service the project.
“It is this existing infrastructure and a high-grade, ultra-low impurities product that puts the Hawsons project on a very firm development footing, especially as lower grade products attract increasingly larger discounts” Mr Hill said.