Southern Ports and Gold Valley have celebrated an historic first at the Port of Esperance following the departure of bulk carrier MV Sifnos carrying more than 78,000 tonnes of iron ore from the Wiluna West mine in the Northern Goldfields.
The successful delivery, storage, loading and departure of the vessel marks the first time the port has had two iron ore customers sharing its iron ore circuit assets, including shed space, ship loader and berth.
Gold Valley joined Mineral Resources Limited as the Port of Esperance's second iron ore customer when a deal was agreed upon with Southern Ports in August.
Delivery of Gold Valley's iron ore commenced at the start of October with a 900-kilometre journey by truck and rail from the Wiluna West mine site to Esperance ahead of the export.
A vital link in the Port of Esperance's iron ore circuit was upgraded in the lead up to the milestone shipment through the Cook Government's $2.8 million investment in conveyor replacements.