Major Greenfield Coal Terminal
The Gladstone Ports Corporation is proposing to construct a Greenfield coal terminal to supplement the current coal export capacity of the Port of Gladstone. The terminal is proposed to have a nominal export capacity of 70 million tonnes per annum.
Katestone was engaged to prepare the air quality impact study as a component of the environmental impact statement for the project
The key air quality issue that is associated with the bulk storage and transport of coal is nuisance dust. Katestone quantified coal dust emissions from the major activities that are associated with dust emissions from the coal terminal: namely, rail receival, coal conveyors, coal stockpiles, stacking, reclaiming and shiploading. Katestone also quantified coal dust emissions from other activities in the Gladstone Airshed.
Katestone constructed a detailed model of the meteorological conditions within the region and used this to estimate ambient dust levels due to emissions from the coal terminal. A range of dust management, mitigation and control measures were recommended to be implemented to minimise the potential impact of the terminal.
In January 2008, Queensland’s Coordinator-General approved the environmental impact statement for the Wiggins Island Coal Terminal. The Coordinator-General specified conditions that must be met by the terminal to the control coal dust emissions.