The Australian mining and exploration company Metro Mining Limited has announced that its Offshore Floating Terminal (OFT), Ikamba, smoothly departed from Weipa on April 25th and successfully completed its mobilisation to Skardon River. On April 28th, Ikamba commenced cargo operations, loading bauxite onto the capesize vessel, Jewel, positioned just eight nautical miles offshore.
The OFT Ikamba stands as a cornerstone of Metro's ambitious expansion project, elevating its capacity to 7 million wet metric tonnes (WMT) and effectively tripling its potential transhipping throughput. This strategic addition not only bolsters the resilience of the Bauxite Hills Mine operation but also facilitates faster vessel loading, accommodating even larger vessels of up to Newcastlemax size (220,000 tonnes). Its substantial size ensures operational safety even in challenging weather conditions, making it a pivotal asset for Metro. Collaborating seamlessly with the single floating crane barge (FCB), TSA Skardon, in 2024, optimises ship loading operations' efficiency.
In the lands and waters where Metro proudly operates, the Ikamba, revered as the Ankamuthi name for saltwater crocodile, holds significant cultural importance as a totem for the Traditional Owners. Stretching an impressive 132 meters in length and 28 meters in width, with a hefty dead weight of 5,000 tonnes, Ikamba embodies strength and reverence. The cargo handling system boasts two robust electric cranes, each with a capacity of 34 WMT and a reach of 30 meters, supplied by E-Crane. Complementing this is a conveyor system from MacGregor and a ship-loading boom capable of servicing up to 3 holds of vessels sized up to Newcastlemax. With a peak loading capacity of 3,000 tonnes per hour, the system anticipates operational throughput of up to 2,000 WMT per hour, far surpassing the existing FCB, TSA Skardon, with its nameplate capacity of 1,000 WMT per hour.
Simon Wensley, the CEO and MD of Metro Mining, said, “It has been over a year since Ikamba was loading bauxite off the West African Coast. After travelling halfway around the world and undergoing a refurbishment in China, seeing it in operation at Skardon River is exciting. My thanks to our truly professional team that has contributed to this epic journey. I wish the new Metro crew fair winds and seas and, above all, safe operations.”
Bauxite production in Australia is expected to grow steadily by 2 to 2.5 per cent per year until 2024. In 2023, Australia produced approximately 102.5 million tonnes (preliminary estimate) of bauxite, with a forecasted increase to 105.06 million tonnes in 2024. For more information about bauxite production in Australia and other countries, explore "Global Aluminium Industry Outlook 2024."
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