Townsville Port supercharges freight capacity with $30m investment

The loading and unloading of container vessels at Townsville Port has been supercharged with the official commissioning of a new $30 million Berth 4 Crane and Cargo Terminal.

The Terminal’s completion has been marked by the debut of the Port’s new Liebherr Post Panamax Ship-to-Shore crane.

Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey said the crane will comfortably double the operational speeds of its predecessor.

“The new Crane and Cargo Terminal is able to unload vessels at a rate of 35 twenty-foot equivalent containers per hour,” Bailey said.

“Combined with the $40.7 million Berth 4 wharf upgrade completed in 2018, it’s more than doubled the berth’s overall handling capacity,” he said.

More than 150 full-time jobs for locals have been supported by the upgrades to Berth 4, as part of the Queensland Government’s economic recovery plan.

Minister for Resources and Member for Townsville Scott Stewart said the Port of Townsville plays a vital role in moving day-to-day products to more than 800,000 people across North Queensland.

“With demand for containerised goods expected to grow four-fold over the next 30 years, it is crucial that we find ways to keep pace,” Stewart said.

“We expect boosted productivity to attract more regular shipping services to Townsville and to help sustain growth in containerised goods and other cargo well into the future,” he said.

He continued that the Port of Townsville is also a crucial link for the resources industry to get its product to market.

Member for Thuringowa Aaron Harper said the upgrades formed part of a whole-of-supply chain approach to improving efficiencies and preparing for significant trade growth over the coming decades.

“We’re also delivering the $232 million Townsville Channel Capacity Upgrade project which is now underway,” Harper said.

“Currently, the channel can accommodate vessels up to 238 metres in length and the widening of the channel will allow it to accommodate vessels up to 300 metres in length,” he said.

Port of Townsville expects to handle the equivalent of more than 200,000 twenty-foot containers per year by 2050.

According to Port of Townsville Chief Operating Officer Drew Penn, containerised goods are one of the key growth areas they have identified for the Port, and the new crane will be crucial in preparing them for that additional trade.

“The crane also complements the Port of Townsville’s future plans as it readies to welcome vessels up to 300m long following completion of the Channel Upgrade project in 2023,” he said.

Source: Minister for Transport and Main Roads, Minister for Resources joint statement