McConnell Dowell is pleased to announce the awarding of the marine structures design and construction contract for BCI Minerals’ Mardie Salt & Potash Project in Western Australia.

The Mardie Project represents a rare, sustainable opportunity to develop a large-scale, solar evaporation operation on the Pilbara coast. Capacity of the facility once complete is estimated to be 5.35 million tonnes per annum of high purity salt and 140 thousand tonnes per annum of sulphate of potash, over an operating life of at least 60 years.

The awarding of this contract represents a critical step in achieving first product on ship in Q4 2024.

The marine structures package is the largest capital works contract for the Project and McConnell Dowell’s scope of work includes the design, supply, fabrication, construction, installation, testing and commissioning of:

• a piled 2.4 km jetty structure with head-end platform, berthing and mooring dolphins. Construction will involve anchoring to the ocean floor more than 200 steel piles, each up to 30 metres long and weighing a combined 3,800 tonnes.
• a materials handling conveying system including shiploader.
• non-process infrastructure comprising fire suppression equipment, employee amenities, fixed crane, channel markers and other navigation aids.
• ancillary equipment, including security gates, CCTV, lighting, outfall pipe on jetty, diffuser, and emergency boat launcher.

Commenting on the award, Mardie Project Director, Sam Bennett, said…

“McConnell Dowell has significant experience designing and constructing similar structures and systems and has demonstrated exceptional safety standards, environmental controls, quality assurance frameworks and local community engagement.”

This award follows a competitive four-month Early Contractor Involvement process and final design has commenced.

Construction is scheduled to commence in Q4 2022, subject to associated approvals, and will take approximately 24 months.