Port of Esperance Berth 2 after its hardstand renewal.
After cutting down on landfill and polluting chemicals such as ammonia during recent construction works, Southern Ports Esperance is in the running for an award.
The $10.6 million Berth 2 hardstand renewal involved repurposing 4,100 cubic metres of materials – largely remnants from the demolition of the old hardstand – into aggregate to create a better suited base for port laydown areas.
The port authority was announced as one of three finalists in the Regional category of the 2024 WasteSorted Awards, which is organised by the WA Waste Authority.
The hardstand renewal project, completed last year, also involved installing an innovative filtration system to remove dissolved contaminants, such as ammonia, collected in rainwater washing across the berth.
Southern Ports Chief Executive Officer Keith Wilks said the system prevented harmful contaminants from being washed into the ocean by rain events and was the first-of-its-kind installed at a WA port, and only the second in Australia.
“Innovative lateral thinking was the key to repurposing construction waste from landfill which ultimately created cost savings and an increase in capacity of trade,” he said.
“Sustainability is at the forefront of our minds and so too is how we can improve and care for our infrastructure and assets.
“Our team approached this project knowing that just because the materials were no longer fit-for-purpose in the hardstand did not mean they were no longer of use.”
Mr Wilkes said effective use of the system had been shown to remove more than 80 per cent of ammonia contaminants from stormwater released into the ocean.
As a result he said the Port of Esperance increased its licencing capacity to import more fertiliser.
Last year the Port of Esperance facilitated more than 13.2 million tonnes of trade including more than 270,000 tonnes of fertiliser.
Port of Esperance is a trade gateway for a variety of commodities including copper, nickel, sulphur, spodumene, iron ore, oil, grain and woodchips.
The WasteSorted Awards will be presented in Perth on September 5.
