RE: Found it26 Sep 2018 22:47
The product will be transported from Kalia to Konta Port by way of the rail access road (“RAR”). This will require the construction of 285km of new road which will join an existing 76km haul road to Konta Port. The RAR is positioned to support the development of the Trans-Guinea railway line that may be developed from the west coast of Guinea to, ultimately, access the country’s vast iron ore resources at Kalia and further to the east.
The RAR design was completed by Jeffares and Green Pty Ltd using detailed satellite imagery and on-ground survey points. The RAR implementation strategy and capital estimates were prepared by Wilson Bayly Holmes Ovcon (“WBHO”). Dynamic simulation, conducted by TSG Consulting, determined the size of the export haul fleet, road capacity and the operational strategy.
The new road will be sealed and constructed to accommodate dual trailer, 150t truck payloads of the initial iron ore production from Kalia to a new trans-shipping facility to be constructed adjacent to the existing Konta port. The trans-shipment and capacity modelling study, incorporating the current sea conditions from Konta to the off-shore load point, were conducted by Seabulk Inc. as a joint venture with Smit Lamnalco Ltd. The proposed solution provides for the loading of 12,000t barges which will transport the material to an offshore, high capacity cape-size vessel trans-shipping system, specifically designed for the loading of Cape Size bulk carriers in Guinea marine conditions.
The BFS estimate includes the cost of a new dedicated bulk-handling port at Konta, designed and costed by Fluor. However, the potential exists to upgrade the current Konta Port at a reduced capital cost.