Thyssenkrupp nabs $250m South Flank contract
THYSSENKRUPP Industrial Solutions will deliver the largest rail-mounted stackers and reclaimer in the world after securing a $250 million contract at BHP’s South Flank iron ore operation in WA’s Pilbara region.
It would be one of the largest fabrication and construction projects the company has ever undertaken in WA, and would see it design, supply, construct and commission large-scale stockyard machines.
Thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions mining technologies chief executive Torsten Gerlach said the company looked forward to contributing to South Flank by combining long-standing global expertise in the mining business with local experience.
“Our strong partnership with BHP extends globally, but the Pilbara region is a core area where we have provided material handling solutions for decades,” Mr Gerlach said.
“With our field service teams we are supporting our customers on a daily basis.”
Thyssenkrupp would supply two stackers that deposit iron ore into stockyards, and a reclaimer for loading the ore into trains for transport to Port Hedland.
The machines would have a capacity of 20,000 tonnes per hour, making them the largest of their kind in the world.
According to Thyssenkrupp, the design of the machines incorporated the latest Australian design standard requirements and technology improvement centred on safe construction, operation, and maintenance activities.
Generating about 80 million tonnes of output per year, South Flank would fully replace production from the existing Yandi mine, which was reaching the end of its economic life.
BHP was targeting first ore extraction in 2021.