More space for container trade growth through Melbourne with DP World Australia expansion
DP World Australia's new 30,000 sqm Melbourne terminal expansion, at the former Bentley Chemplax site, was commissioned on Tuesday (15 March 2016), signalling the start of a suite of capital investment projects in 2016-17.
The completion of the Bentley Chemplax site delivers an additional 450 ground slots or 100,000 TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit) of container capacity per annum, increasing the capacity of the terminal to 1.4m TEU per annum.
The development is the terminal’s largest expansion project since 2010, and represents the first in a series of new investments in DP World Australia’s hardstand infrastructure, yard equipment and wharf assets.
DP World Australia Chief Financial Officer, Jason Varsamidis, said: “We are investing in the future. This terminal expansion demonstrates our commitment to growing our service offering for our customers.
“Bentley Chemplax is a part of an extensive capital investment program, which has also seen us invest in new quay and automated stacking cranes, an empty container handling facility in Sydney, and ten new next-generation straddle carriers in Melbourne,” he said.
DP World Australia CEO, Paul Scurrah, said: “The additional capacity provides our customers with a greater level of service and increased productivity. This will enable our Melbourne team to handle additional volumes and offer improved truck turn times, as fewer consolidated moves will be required at the terminal.”
Construction commenced in September 2015 and the project was delivered under budget and in line with the original schedule by contractors, Fulton Hogan, despite difficult ground conditions and construction adjacent to an operating terminal.
Following the Bentley Chemplax project, the Melbourne terminal will enter its next expansion phase, with the partial closure and redevelopment of Coode Road (subject to Port of Melbourne approval) scheduled to commence in 2016.
The Bentley Chemplax investment highlights DP World Australia’s commitment to investing in its terminals to improve its customer service offering. The expanded terminal is open for testing and will be officially opened at an event in April.