A major contract has been awarded by the Pilbara Ports Authority to expand the Nelson Point Tug Haven facility at Port Hedland in Western Australia.
The contract was awarded to diversified marine and port services company, TAMS Group, headquartered in North Fremantle, just south of Perth.
Nelson Point Tug Haven is the largest of three operational tug pens at the Port of Port Hedland. The port is the largest bulk export port in the world.
TAMS’ contract is part of the second stage of a $72.5 million upgrade of the facility. The company will construct a new outside wave screen wall to shelter vessels from waves and storm surge in cyclones and other extreme weather events.
It will also upgrade six associated tug pens at the 6.3-metre-deep facility, capable of providing operational and cyclonic mooring and access.
TAMS has performed multiple works across the Pilbara ports of Dampier, Ashburton, and Port Hedland for more than a decade. These include construction, dredging, inspections, and marine maintenance.
The WA State Government and the Commonwealth Government are funding a major expansion of the Port of Port Hedland’s infrastructure.
“[This is] … aimed at increasing capacity to export battery minerals and import renewable energy infrastructure into the Pilbara,” according to a statement on TAMS’ website.
Image: A TAMS barge facility (centre at front) undertaking previous works at the Port of Port Hedland. TAMS will upgrade the Nelson Point Tug Haven facility (to the right).
About the author
Desi Corbett
Desi is our weekly news journalist and the editor of Concrete in Australia magazine for 10 years. She has been heavily involved in all forms of engineering since 2013; part of a 30-year writing career across a range of subjects and media.