Dalrymple Bay Coal Terminal – L3 Conveyor Light & Power Replacement

Dalrymple Bay Coal Terminal operates continuously, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, with an operating capacity of 85 million tonnes per annum. Located at the Port of Hay Point, approximately 38 kilometres south of Mackay, the terminal forms part of one of the world’s largest coal export ports.  

The L3 Conveyor light and power infrastructure required replacement due to the age and degradation of existing cables and fittings. The project also consolidated walkway lighting and power circuits to a revised supply arrangement, requiring new distribution infrastructure and integration with existing terminal electrical and control systems.  

CE Group was engaged to supply the labour, supervision, materials and equipment required to deliver the electrical upgrade. The works included manufacture and installation of a new L3 light and power distribution board, establishment of a new three-phase supply, replacement of conveyor walkway and equipment-area lighting, new general-purpose outlets, junction boxes, electrical and control cabling, conduit, cable support infrastructure and associated mounting systems.  

The electrical works extended across both sides of the L3 Conveyor and included general and emergency lighting, metal detector lighting, power distribution and new lighting control cabling. The lighting control circuit interfaced with the terminal’s existing PLC and SCADA network, requiring coordination with DBCT personnel for control and monitoring integration.  

Delivery within an operational bulk materials handling environment required detailed planning around electrical isolations, conveyor access, working at heights and scheduled shutdown and maintenance periods. Redundant lighting, power cabling, distribution circuits and field equipment were progressively decommissioned and removed as the replacement infrastructure was installed.  

Testing and quality assurance formed part of the delivery scope, including Inspection and Test Plans, continuity and insulation resistance testing, earth continuity testing, functional testing and earth leakage testing. The project documentation also required updated as-built drawings, test records and supporting technical documentation.  

The project demonstrates CE Group’s capability to deliver brownfield electrical asset renewal within operational mining and bulk materials handling infrastructure, combining switchboard manufacture, electrical construction, control integration, shutdown coordination and testing within a continuously operating export terminal.