Key components in Cairns for $75m power plant

Key components for MSF Sugar’s $75 million green energy plant have landed in Cairns en-route to their final destination at the Tableland Mill. Among the shipload of 276 individual items is the steam turbine and generator package for the power plant, which at $18 million is the largest single investment item for the cornerstone project. The HR Endeavour docked into Cairns on November 5 and took several days to unload, with the operation finishing today. Power plant project manager Mark Magnanini said the items would now be road transported to the construction site across two to three weeks. “The bulk of the shipment will use normal road freight transport and the logistics will be handled by the principal contractor for the project, ThyssenKrupp," he said. "The process will have minimal impact on road users as components will be transported outside of peak times.” Mr Magnanini said the arrival of the components was a significant project milestone. “With the major civil works completed, our attention now turns to construction of the plant using the high-precision, custom-manufactured components that have arrived and others that are on the way,” he said. “It is exciting to see the plant taking shape. This is the first stage of our green energy pipeline and heralds a new era for the far north Queensland sugar industry.” Ports North chairman Russell Beer said this latest project out of the Port of Cairns reaffirmed its importance as a major cargo hub for far North Queensland. “Ports North has secured major contracts throughout 2017 by promoting and building the port’s capabilities, with new facilities such as the windfarm component lay down area,” he said. Panalpina World Transport project development manager Andrew Chatto said 800,000kg, or 800 metric tonnes, of cargo had been discharged from the ship. “This is a significant project. There are multiple people involved and multiple contractors involved – most of them local – so it’s a fantastic opportunity for the region,” he said. Construction of the new green energy power plant started in May this year at the Arriga site, west of Cairns, and is on track to be completed by July 2018. Once operational, the power plant will use a 100 per cent renewable sugarcane fibre, known as bagasse, to produce 24 megawatts of electricity – enough to power every house in the Tableland region. Fast Facts: 276 high-precision, custom-manufactured components were shipped on the vessel HR Endeavour from Mumbai and Chennai in India to Cairns, arriving into the port on Sunday 5 November The cargo, which weighed a total of 800,000 kilograms or 800 metric tonnes, was discharged from the vessel over three consecutive days The components will be transported by road to MSF Sugar’s Tableland Mill over a three week period, with approximately five loads transported per day (75-80 loads in total)

Key components in Cairns for $75m power plant

Industry Queensland

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