Pilbara Ports Authority’s (PPA) Port of Port Hedland has beaten its previous 24-hour throughput record, achieving 2.817 million tonnes, with 15 vessel movements.
The previous 24-hour throughput record of 2.573 million tonnes was achieved in December 2021.
The result was achieved despite last week’s temporary closure due to Cyclone Ilsa, which crossed the Pilbara coast as a category five storm on April 13 at midnight.
The PPA said that Cyclone Ilsa crossed approximately 120km east northeast of Port Hedland.
Prior to Cyclone Ilsa, Port Hedland had not been forced to shut down since 2019, when tropical cyclone Veronica struck the coast in March of that same year.
However, the incoming Cyclone Ilsa forced PPA to close the port in the early morning of April 12, with all berths and anchorages cleared the following afternoon. After safety inspections were complete, the port was re-opened in the late morning of April 14.
A late south-easterly change in Cyclone Ilsa’s path meant that the port was spared the worst of the storm.