Australia’s first wind fences, designed to reduce dust emissions as part of Iron ore miner BHP’s AUD 300 million air quality commitment, will be built in Port Hedland by CIMIC Group’s CPB Contractors. BHP & CPB Contractors said three fences would be built at BHP’s Nelson Point and Finucane Island operations. Construction of the wind fences is expected to start in August 2022 and take 14 months to complete. Designed for the Pilbara’s unique weather conditions, and rated specifically to withstand cyclones, the fences will include mesh panels designed to reduce wind speeds, shielding BHP’s stockpiles and reducing the potential for dust lift-off. The fences will abate dust emissions in current operations and ensure no net increases in dust emissions should operations expand over time.The 30 meter high fences, which span a length of two kilometers, will include mesh panels designed to reduce wind speeds, shielding the stockyard and reducing the potential for dust lift-off. As the wind speed reaches a certain limit, the mesh curtain opens, to let the air flow through the fence. Construction of the wind fences will involve the fabrication of 3,000 tonnes of structural steel. The wind fences, which will be fabricated and built in Western Australia, are designed to control dust from BHP’s port operations and will be the first of their kind in Australia.BHP is spending up to AUD 300 million over the next four years as part of its Pilbara Air Quality Program, which also includes:1. Trialing of vegetation barriers, in partnership with Curtin University and Greening Australia, to help capture natural and industry dust before it impacts the West End of Port Hedland2. The continued implementation and optimisation of operational dust control projects across our entire Pilbara supply chain, such as moisture management systems, ore conditioning and monitoring infrastructure, and improvements across our existing controls at our mines and port.
Australia’s first wind fences, designed to reduce dust emissions as part of Iron ore miner BHP’s AUD 300 million air quality commitment, will be built in Port Hedland by CIMIC Group’s CPB Contractors. BHP & CPB Contractors said three fences would be built at BHP’s Nelson Point and Finucane Island operations. Construction of the wind fences is expected to start in August 2022 and take 14 months to complete. Designed for the Pilbara’s unique weather conditions, and rated specifically to withstand cyclones, the fences will include mesh panels designed to reduce wind speeds, shielding BHP’s stockpiles and reducing the potential for dust lift-off. The fences will abate dust emissions in current operations and ensure no net increases in dust emissions should operations expand over time.The 30 meter high fences, which span a length of two kilometers, will include mesh panels designed to reduce wind speeds, shielding the stockyard and reducing the potential for dust lift-off. As the wind speed reaches a certain limit, the mesh curtain opens, to let the air flow through the fence. Construction of the wind fences will involve the fabrication of 3,000 tonnes of structural steel. The wind fences, which will be fabricated and built in Western Australia, are designed to control dust from BHP’s port operations and will be the first of their kind in Australia.BHP is spending up to AUD 300 million over the next four years as part of its Pilbara Air Quality Program, which also includes:1. Trialing of vegetation barriers, in partnership with Curtin University and Greening Australia, to help capture natural and industry dust before it impacts the West End of Port Hedland2. The continued implementation and optimisation of operational dust control projects across our entire Pilbara supply chain, such as moisture management systems, ore conditioning and monitoring infrastructure, and improvements across our existing controls at our mines and port.