ALLY OOP: The 780-tonne lift and install of the western stacker bridge at the WICET coal stockyard was completed at the weekend.

ALLY OOP: The 780-tonne lift and install of the western stacker bridge at the WICET coal stockyard was completed at the weekend. Murray Ware

THE largest individual structure to be built at the Wiggins Island Coal Export Terminal has been successfully lifted into place at the WICET coal stockyard.

The 780-tonne lift and installation of the western stacker bridge was completed at the weekend.

Work began on Friday, May 23, with 750 and 1100-tonne cranes lifting the bridge structure into place, 25 metres above the stockyard floor.

A further four, smaller cranes were then used to help in the de-rigging and lowering of the lifting frames from the larger erection cranes. This complex lift required six cranes to complete the process.

The stacker bridge is 11 metres wide and 125 metres long, and will comprise an integral part of the terminal's coal in-loading infrastructure, providing the support and housing for the shuttling conveyor and telescopic chute which will deliver coal across the stockpiles.

Once commissioned, it will transfer coal from the overland conveyor through to the stockyard gantry conveyor system at up to 8250 tonnes per hour.

The stacker bridge was pre-fitted with electrical and mechanical components on site by John Holland Group, which also undertook the associated lifts.

This latest major lift follows the installation of other key stockyard infrastructure - the coal tripper and central carriage - in early April.

Stage One construction of WICET is scheduled to load its first ship in November this year.