Mineral Resources (MinRes) is celebrating a milestone at the Port of Ashburton with the first loading of a Newcastlemax ship.
The next size of bulk carrier after a Capesize vessel, the Newcastlemax has an intake of approximately 190,000–210,000 wet metric tonnes (wmt) with a maximum beam of 50m and length of 300m.
The step up comes just six months after Onslow Iron achieved first ore on ship in May, ahead of schedule.
“We’re excited to have reached this milestone by successfully loading the first Newcastlemax vessel just six months since commissioning the first ore in May on Mini-Cape vessels,” MinRes shipping manager Gus Couani said.
“This achievement will open up the rest of the global Newcastlemax fleet, which allows for more vessel flexibility and reduced cost.”
Cargo commenced loading on November 10 with completion achieved on November 13, marking the fastest turnaround time for any vessel loaded at the Ashburton anchorage to date.
The ship is also the first LNG (liquified natural gas)-powered bulk vessel charter by MinRes in a move to reduce carbon emissions by around 425 tonnes.
A total of 203,100wmt was loaded onto the ship, 22,900wmt more than any previous shipment.
Following the first convoy of road trains with autonomous haulage solutions technology arriving at Onslow Iron in late April, MinRes has confirmed that practical completion of Onslow Iron project infrastructure such as the dedicated haul road is expected to be completed by the second half of 2024.
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