The Port of Esperance, in Western Australia, is set to increase its iron-ore trade by 1.5-million tonnes a year, following a new agreement announced by Ports Minister David Michael.
Gold Valley Iron Ore has secured access to essential iron-ore infrastructure at the port, marking the first time a second customer has been granted such access.
The agreement includes the use of rail receival facilities, conveyors, shed space, and the ship loader. Ore from Gold Valley's Wiluna West mine will be transported by road to Kalgoorlie and then transferred to rail for delivery to the port.
This is the first time a second customer has been able to access the iron-ore circuit through the port and the first from the Wiluna area. Longstanding customer Mineral Resources will continue to export through the shared infrastructure at the port.
Gold Valley Iron Ore is expected to export its first shipment from the port in September.
"Opening up Port of Esperance infrastructure to a second exporter will see iron-ore trade capacity maximised, resulting in a positive boost to the Western Australian economy,” said Michael.
Iron-ore is the Port of Esperance's primary export commodity, with more than 7.6-million tonnes exported in financial year 2022/23 and almost 37-million tonnes from 2018 to 2023.
The Western Australian government is investing strongly in Southern Ports' growth, with A$116-million of funding announced in the recent state Budget for infrastructure upgrades and initiatives.