Japan Steels Seek Coal Shipping Expansion from Queensland

Japanese major steel makers’ officials met with premier Anna Bligh of Queensland, Australia on Wednesday to ask expansion of coal shipping capacity from the coking coal rich area. Queensland government said it will open northern missing rail road link for northern coal shipping terminal as early as 2010. The government explained the plan to connect around 70 kilometers rail road from North Goonyella to Newlands, which enables to ship coking coal from the coking coal rich area to Abbott point port. The alternate route can increase the coal shipment to clear bottleneck of Dalrymple Bay coal terminal. The government selects the business partner in the year to promote the plan. Japanese officials said the government should lead the solution to improve the one month long Dalrymple Bay demurrage in short term while the government should expand the actual shipping capacity in the coal chain from mine, rail to port.