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Cape Lambert is a port facility operated by Rio Tinto Iron Ore in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. It is located 40 kilometres north-east of Karratha. Ports Rio Tinto Iron Ore website, accessed: 8 November 2010
While the names of Cape Lambert and Port Walcott are often used interchangeably, the official name of the port is Port Walcott and the iron ore loading facility within is referred to as "Cape Lambert wharf". In shipping documents, it is often referred to as Port Walcott.
Cape Lambert is East of Karratha (59 km), West of Point Samson (11 km) and Port Hedland (220 km) and due North of Wickham (10 km), Roebourne (22 km) and Millstream National Park (108 km).
The port has an annual capacity to handle 80 million tonnes of iron ore. In comparison, the port of Dampier can handle 140 million tonnes annually. The former is approximately 40% of Rio Tinto's annual iron ore production from the Pilbara, as of 2009. Preparing for the future Rio Tinto presentation, published: 23 March 2010, accessed: 7 November 2010 Individual ships at the port take between 24 and 36 hours to load. The wharf at Cape Lambert is 3 kilometres long, 30 metres high and one of the highest, longest and deepest wharves in Australia.
Rio Tinto expanded the port from a capacity of 55 million tonnes annually to 80 million tonnes at a cost of A$952 million. Western Australian Mineral and Petroleum Statistic Digest 2009 Department of Mines and Petroleum website, accessed: 8 November 2010 Rio Tinto resumes work at Cape Lambert The Age, published: 16 September 2008, accessed: 8 November 2010 The port is scheduled to undergo a further expansion to be completed by 2012. The new expansion is scheduled to cost A$276 million. John Holland lands Cape Lambert port expansion for Rio The Herald Sun, published: 3 September 2010, accessed: 8 November 2010 The expansion is part of a plan to raise Rio Tinto's annual production from the Pilbara from 220 to 330 million tonnes annually by 2016. To achieve this, the Cape Lambert port capacity will be expanded to handle an additional 100 million tonnes annually. Rio announces $226m expansion at Cape Lambert The West Australian, published: 14 July 2010, accessed: 8 November 2010
The wharf at Cape Lambert stretches for 2.7 km, built to a minimum of 17.87metres above the water. It is the tallest in Australia. The wharf holds or shares every Australian bulk handling records.
The iron ore cargo loading facility is operated by Robe River Mining Company (owned by the Rio Tinto Group). The terminals at Port Walcott (Cape Lambert), East Intercourse Island and Parker Point (at Dampier) are together operated by the Department of Transport.
The port itself is an open water port and the Cape Lambert wharf is exposed to strong cross currents due up to over 5 metres of tide movement. Six RA Star 3200 tugs are used by the facility to assist vessels in berthing and unberthing operations.
The terminal consists of
Rio also proposed an additional 1.8 km, four-berth jetty and wharf at Cape Lambert to increase its current annual capacity of 80 million tonnes by a further 100 million tonnes. The expansion will be staged, rising to 225 million tonnes a year by the first quarter of 2011, 230 million tonnes by the second quarter of 2012, and 280 million tonnes by 2014. Rio announces $226m expansion at Cape Lambert The West Australian, published 14 July 2010, accessed: 20 July 2010
The contract involves earthworks for the wharf abutment and tug harbour and the partial removal of the existing tug harbour breakwater. The construction of the wharf abutment and breakwater involved clearing, grubbing, topsoil stripping and surface soil stripping; excavate and remove existing materials extension of existing road crossing over the power station cooling water outlet. The construction of the tug boat harbour extension included the removal, temporary storage and reuse of tug boat harbour armour rock and core material and loading, hauling and placing the core material and rock armour.
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