Transhipment

BBI are currently designing custom transhipment vessels. These vessels will have capacity to transfer 30,000 tonnes of iron ore to designated BBI controlled anchorages for transfer to Cape size iron ore transporters.

The transhipment vessels will use specially designed material handling systems allowing for the rapid and efficient unloading of the cargo onto the bulk carrier. The innovative transhipment design will allow a Cape size vessel to arrive, anchor, be loaded and set off in less than 48 hours.

Owned by the Pilbara Port Authority, owners and operators of Port headland port facilities, the Balla Balla port will be leased to and operated by the BBI Group.

The BBI Port transhipment solution will only have minor tidal restrictions, with loaded barges being able to depart the wharf on majority of the tide cycle.

The unobstructed harbour waters and generally benign ocean conditions will allow continuous operation of the facility throughout a vast majority the year. Extreme weather events, including tropical cyclones will only impede BBI Port operations infrequently and are a familiar part of iron ore shipping on the Pilbara Coast.

The trans-shipment vessels will be loaded by a conventional ship loader standard in the Pilbara, capable of loading up to 11,500 tonnes per hour. The ship loader is designed to allow the product to be loaded both sides of the wharf, accessing two transhipment vessel berths, allowing for efficient loading of vessels. The ship loader will be located on a purpose built wharf located at the end of a 2.8km trestle jetty that will carry the material, via overland conveyor, from the inter-tidal zone out across the deeper water.