NORTHERN TERRITORY FUELLING CHANGE in the An LNG vessel at Port of Darwin 34 <strong>December</strong> <strong>2019</strong> thedcn.com.au
Beyond the tropical setting there is work going on in and around Darwin’s port by way of new infrastructure, writes David Sexton Port of Darwin Lying closer to Bali than Sydney, the city of Darwin, capital of the Northern Territory has naturally attracted dreamers. Those who see the big picture and the region’s ability to connect Australia with its Asian neighbours. Sometimes these dreams may have been over-ambitious – the Alice Springs to Darwin rail connection is not universally loved - but there is much going on at present which suggests justifiable cause for optimism. One large new project for Darwin is the ‘ship lift’, with the Territory government set to build the largest dry dock facility in Northern Australia. Not only is it seen as a job creator in the short term but also positioning Darwin as an international and national player in the marine services industry. Territory-owned and based Paspaley Group is partnering with the government in the $400m project. The company owns and maintains a large fleet of vessels, with many sailing in and out of Darwin harbour regularly. The vessels currently maintained in Darwin will help ensure the ongoing viability of the ship lift, as the anchor tenant for the facility. The NT requires a ship lift to maintain vessels operating in or visiting Darwin harbour both now and for the future. The new facility is said to be crucial to keep pace with the growing industry demands and increasing vessel sizes. Darwin is the only functional deep water harbour in Northern Australia, enhancing the need for this infrastructure. Construction of the facility is set to start in 2021 with the concept to be operational in 2023. The ship lift is to be 103m in length, 26m wide and have a draft of 6m. Key design features of the ship lift include 20 hectares of hardstand area for ship repair and maintenance works; ship lift capable of lifting vessels up to 5,000 tonnes; and four wet berths (wharves). A spokesperson for the Northern Territory Department of Trade, Business and Innovation said the ship lift would be an improvement on anything currently operating in Darwin. “The current commercial ship lift facilities in Darwin are aging and small, and the ship lift at the Coonawarra Naval Base is due to be decommissioned by 2024,” the spokesperson said. Such developments auger well for the development of the Darwin and NT maritime cluster. THE PORT OPERATOR’S PERSPECTIVE It is a theme taken up by Darwin Port’s CEO Darren Lambourn, who moved into the top job three months ago replacing Terry O’Connor. Darren Lambourn’s journey to becoming Darwin Port CEO is a long one. Originally a Queenslander, he started his career with P&O as a stevedore and tradesman. He has held senior management role roles with ports (Bunbury and Albany), was general manager for port and marine for Pilbara magnetite project CITIC Pacific Mining, and also worked for QUBE at Port Hedland, getting Utah Point “up and running”. “I basically came from the floor,” he says. So how has he enjoyed the role so far? “Yes it’s great, good climate here,” he says. “The people [in Darwin] make you feel very welcome. I like the tropics and it suits myself and my family very well.” Mr Lambourn tells <strong>DCN</strong> about some of the services offered by Darwin Port and where growth is occurring starting with gas. “With the gas it is certainly growing, we offer services and with INPEX coming on board we’ve seen a good increase in vessel movements through the port.” The Ichthys LNG Project’s involvement with Darwin officially started in September 2008, when operator INPEX and then sole joint venture partner Total announced the NT as the preferred home for its onshore processing facilities. Since then, INPEX has opened an office in the Darwin CBD, the project was granted environmental approval, a 3500 person accommodation village in Howard Springs was completed and two dredging campaigns helped deepen the shipping channel in Darwin Harbour. At Bladin Point, a 361 hectare site is carefully being transformed into one of the world’s largest LNG processing facilities. “It is looking good for gas and new reserves of gas that are coming through. The industry up here is pretty buoyant and the same with the onshore gas and exploration, that is exciting,” he says. Mr Lambourn talks of onshore gas finds being “a big game-changer for the Northern Territory”. Darwin’s economic growth is generally considered to have dipped since completion of the INPEX facilities, but there are positive signs. “In regards the Northern Territory, we’ve sort of been on a downward incline since the construction of INPEX. It’s like any regional city,” he says. “I was at [Port] Hedland and also at Karratha from the boom to the downward slide and I think that’s where we are at the moment. “We’re coming out of the slide – we see improvements, we certainly see improvements in mineral deposits and especially in smaller volume, higher value products like lithium and copper. We see big growth there.” He notes recent exploration activity by major miner Rio Tinto. thedcn.com.au <strong>December</strong> <strong>2019</strong> 35
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