WA-based marine services provider Bhagwan Marine was awarded a contract to supply marine vessels and crew to support Amrun construction.


By Reuben Adams


DEVELOPMENT at Rio Tinto’s $2.6 billion Amrun bauxite project in North Queensland is ramping up following the award of a number of key contracts in December.

WA-based marine services provider Bhagwan Marine was awarded a contract to supply marine vessels and crew to support Amrun construction.

Bhagwan’s contract scope included the supply of personnel, vessels, plant and equipment, which company managing director Loui Kannikoski said “couldn’t have come at a better time”.

“We will be supplying a variety of tugs, barges, multi-cats and crew transfer vessels to Amrun which is a huge win for us not only in terms of fleet utilisation, but also in providing two years of ongoing work security to some of our amazing crews,” Mr Kannikoski said.

“Creating new work opportunities for some of the local community is also very satisfying for us.”

Bhagwan stated that “a significant percentage” of the contractor’s workforce would consist of Indigenous employees from the local community and other regional areas.

Indigenous Coxswain traineeships would be rolled out, whereby trainees from local communities completed a two year trainee program consisting of four weeks pre season training, 20 months on the job training, and four weeks post sea training.

Civmec was also awarded two significant contracts totalling $160 million as part of the development of the Amrun processing facility.

The larger of the contracts included construction of the processing facility – including a bauxite beneficiation plant and associated water, electrical and lighting systems – and 11,800 tonnes of Australia steel and precast concrete.

The fabrication, precast manufacture and modular assembly would take place at both Civmec’s east coast facility at Newcastle, NSW and west coast facility at Henderson, WA.

The second contract, awarded by Sandvik, included the part supply, fabrication, surface treatment, mechanical and electrical install and the modularisation of a stacker, reclaimer and shiploader for bauxite material handling.

This contract involved the fabrication of 2200 tonnes of steel, and the works would be completed at Civmec’s Henderson facility.

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