FAQ
- Who is Yilgarn Infrastructure Limited?
- What is the Oakajee Port and Rail Project?
- How much will the project cost?
- How much work has Yilgarn done on the project to date?
- When will construction start and when will it be completed?
- Where will the railway go?
- What mines will it service?
- What will the capacity of the new port be? What size vessels will it cater for?
- Where will the port be located?
- Why is it so important that the infrastructure be independently owned and operated - what's wrong with a mine owning the port and rail?
- A new port and railway will obviously benefit the region's iron ore mines, but how will it help the Mid West?
Who is Yilgarn Infrastructure Limited?
A. Yilgarn Infrastructure Limited (is a
well-funded, unlisted public company based in Perth Western
Australia. The company was established to supply the mining and
resources industry in the Mid West of Western Australia with
efficient rail and port services on an open-access, open-book,
multi-user basis.
Yilgarn has investment from sophisticated private Australian
investors as well as the WA Local Government Superannuation Plan
and a select group of major Chinese corporations. The company has a
conditional debt-finance agreement with China's EXIM Bank to fund
the Oakajee Port and Rail infrastructure Project and plans to list
on the Australian Stock Exchange to enable investment from the
Australian public and institutions. Top
What is the Oakajee Port and Rail Project?
A. There are several existing and emerging iron ore mines in the Mid West that are depending on the construction of a new deepwater port at Oakajee and supporting rail infrastructure to enable them to develop and/or greatly expand the exportation of their resources.
Yilgarn's Oakajee Port and Rail Project proposes a railway aligned to service all the Mid West commercial mines on a transparent, open-access basis, enabling iron ore to be delivered to export markets at the most competitive prices while providing significant economic and social benefit for the Mid West and Western Australia.
As an independent infrastructure provider that will guarantee third party access to all mines on a level playing field, Yilgarn will ensure the Mid West avoids the infrastructure access problems being experienced in the Pilbara. Top
How much will the project cost?
A. The project is estimated to cost up to $3billion. Top
How much work has Yilgarn done on the project to date?
A. The project is well advanced. Yilgarn has completed pre-feasibility studies and long lead-time flora and fauna studies and definitive feasibility studies are underway. Top
When will construction start and when will it be completed?
A. Construction is due to start in 2008, with the port and rail ready for commissioning in early 2011, subject to WA Government processes and approvals. Top
Where will the railway go?
A. The railway will connect the Oakajee port with iron ore mines in the Mid West via a branch network. The network starts with a 100km trunk from Oakajee to a hub at Mullewa and 365km from Mullewa to Jack Hills via Weld Range. Yilgarn also is designing a rail option to the south east of Mullewa and east of Weld Range to Wiluna.Top
What mines will it service?
A. Yilgarn's rail network will be designed to service all the Mid West commercial mines. As an independent infrastructure provider, Yilgarn will operate on a multi-user, open-access basis, which means all these mines will be able to use the railway and will have equal rights to access the infrastructure. Mid West mine Midwest Corporation has signed an agreement nominating Yilgarn as its infrastructure provider and negotiations are underway with other mines in the region to establish similar agreements. Top
What will the capacity of the new port be? What size vessels will it cater for?
A. The port will cater for a minimum of 60 million tonnes of iron ore a year with a flexibility of design incorporated to allow more than 90 million tonnes a year - in addition to other products and commodities as they come on line. This will enable vessels up to and including Cape Class (180,000 DWT) to be serviced. Top
Where will the port be located?
A. The new port will be at Oakajee, about 25km north of Geraldton. Top
Why is it so important that the infrastructure be independently owned and operated - what's wrong with a mine owning the port and rail?
A. As is being experienced in the Pilbara of Western Australia, if a mine owns and operates the port and rail, it has a duty to manage the infrastructure to provide the most benefit to its shareholders, resulting in other mines unable to gain equal access.
Being an independent service provider to the mines means Yilgarn can provide the infrastructure on a level playing field, so all customers have open-access to the port and rail to get their product to export markets at the lowest possible cost.
Yilgarn's plan for the Oakajee port and rail infrastructure is a plan for the long term sustainable regional growth of the whole Mid West. It is a regional development plan, not just a plan to build infrastructure to accommodate any one mine. Top
A new port and railway will obviously benefit the region's iron ore mines, but how will it help the Mid West?
A. Yilgarn's initial financial modeling has shown that an independently owned and operated, multi-user port and rail could inject $21 billion into the Australian economy over a 20-year period. It is expected to create 1500 to 2000 jobs during construction as well as long-term employment opportunities, improvements to existing infrastructure and town sites along the rail route, land development and indigenous training opportunities.
Contact us: info@yil.com.au Top