BHP Billiton's Pilbara expansion plans have taken a major step forward, with the release of environmental reports required to obtain government approvals for its proposed Port Hedland outer harbour expansion.
The outer harbour project will involve the construction of rail, iron ore handling, stockpiling and ship-loading facilities at Port Hedland.
An infrastructure corridor would also be constructed from the stockyards to the proposed marine jetty.
The expanded outer harbour would give BHP an additional capacity of 240 million tonnes per annum, with berths in place for eight bulk carriers.
BHP already holds allocated capacity of 240 million tonnes a year in the inner harbour.
It said in a statement accompanying the environmental report that the proposed outer harbour development was integral to its future expansion plans.
BHP's expansion plans are just part of proposals in place that will see Port Hedland become the largest bulk commodities port in the world.
In Port Hedland's inner harbour, plans are in place for an expansion of up to 495 million tonnes per year by 2015.
And for the outer harbour, expansions from 2015 onwards, including that planned by BHP, would increase capacity by 400 million tonnes per year.
In 2010, the world's largest bulk commodities port was China's Qinhuangdao, which has a capacity of 240 million tonnes per year.
