Port of Newcastle has today opened an Expressions of Interest (EOI) via tenderlink.com regarding potential establishment of an Empty Container Park in the Mayfield Precinct of Port of Newcastle.

The EOI for this potential project will remain open from Thursday 23 September until 4pm Friday 5 November 2021.

Port of Newcastle is Australia’s deepwater global gateway, the largest on the nation’s East Coast. Port of Newcastle is more than a port, it exists to build Australia’s prosperity with responsible, integrated and innovative supply chain solutions.

With trade worth about $26-billion to the national economy each year, Port of Newcastle enables Australian businesses to successfully compete in international markets. The Port currently handles 4,400 ship movements and 164 million tonnes of cargo annually, including dry bulk, bulk liquids, ro-ro, general and project cargoes and containers.

With a deepwater shipping channel operating at 50% of its capacity, significant Port land available and enviable access to national rail and road infrastructure, Port of Newcastle is positioned to further underpin the future prosperity of the Hunter, NSW and Australia. As custodians of the region’s critical asset, Port of Newcastle is diversifying its trade as it strives to create a safe, sustainable and environmentally and socially responsible future.

As the Hunter Region’s trade gateway to the world, Port of Newcastle is committed to diversifying for the future to accommodate existing trade and ensuring that the Port is best placed to meet the demands of customers into the future through leveraging full use of its abundant rail, road and land capacity to attract new trade.

Port of Newcastle’s existing project cargo, general cargo and container handling capability will be further enhanced following a $28.4-million investment in two Liebherr L550 mobile harbour cranes and associated infrastructure at the Port’s versatile Mayfield 4 berth.

In announcing the Mobile Harbour Crane purchase in July, Port of Newcastle expressed its excitement about this upgrade to its Mayfield 4 berth service offering and the opportunities it presents to support the Port working with customers and new trades alike to identify how the Mobile Harbour Cranes service can benefit their supply chains, improve efficiency and further support their ability to successfully compete in international markets.

The cranes will feature the latest lift assistance systems, provided to ensure improved material handling, precise control over load movement and safer lifts. With access to rail sidings and upgraded internal roads, able to handle oversized trucks, the new cranes are capable of handling a diverse mix of project cargo, including wind turbines, mining equipment, timber, steel coils and transformers. The cranes will also have the capability to work in tandem for heavy lifts and lift two 20’ or one 40’ container in a single move.

Port of Newcastle expects containerised trade to increase through the Port with the addition of the Mobile Harbour Cranes to assist loading and unloading of vessels, whilst Port of Newcastle seeks to remove existing restrictions so that it can build the Multi-Purpose Deepwater Terminal. For more on this project, visit thefutureuncontained.com.au.

The Mayfield 4 berth, where the new Mobile Harbour Cranes and potential Empty Container Park will be located, is used for break bulk and general cargo and this trade is expected to continue through the berth following installation of the cranes.

Within the Mayfield Precinct, Port of Newcastle is seeking Expressions of Interest (EOI) for the potential operation, or operation and construction, of an Empty Container Park. If the project is to proceed, Port of Newcastle proposes to make available approximately 4Ha of land which may be established for the use of an Empty Container Park. Port of Newcastle would provide the Applicant a portion of hardstand area under licence to establish the Empty Container Park and the Port is prepared to consider establishing the facilities required in agreement with the Applicant, as part of the initial license.

Through establishing this EOI, Port of Newcastle is seeking to receive feedback from industry and interested applicants on the project, and to understand views on how Port of Newcastle and an applicant could work collaboratively to maximise the project should it be determined that it proceed.

Port of Newcastle has not yet decided whether or not to proceed with the Project, with the ultimate decision to be made pending response to the EOI and a range of other business considerations and factors affecting the Port.

“With the Port’s investment in infrastructure, prime location and access to rail and road links, this could be a great opportunity for a collaborative partnership with our growing Port. The EOI will remain open through tenderlink.com until 4pm on the 5^th of November and Port of Newcastle encourages shipping companies and stevedores to make contact for a discussion or present feedback on the scope and potential of an Empty Container Park at the Port of Newcastle through the formal EOI process,” said Port of Newcastle Project Director Lindsay Crutch.

Port of Newcastle has created two 2D graphics of the potential Empty Container Park EOI site which can be seen here, along with an artist’s impression of the Mobile Harbour Cranes on Mayfield 4 berth.