Fourth Newcastle coal terminal opens

Coal exports from the fourth coal terminal at the Australian port of Newcastle are not now expected to commence until mid-2017, which is two years after the initial projected opening in 2015. This has been announced by promoter Port Waratah Coal Services.
This new facility is desperately needed, since two existing terminals at the port — Carrington and Kooragang — are predicted to have reached their maximum export capacity hundred and 45mt (million tonnes) a year by January 2013. Indeed,Terminal 4 already has binding commitments from several coal exporters wishing to make use of it.
The delay has been put down to “sheer technical complexity of the project” and the planning process itself. “It has been an extraordinarily tight timeframe from the outset. There are variables within the planning approvals process and we cannot cut any corners,” said a PortWaratah spokesperson.“PWCS is contractually obliged to build Terminal 4 for which coal producers have signed contracts.”