Fremantle Ports has inflated a 40m-high cement clinker dome at its Kwinana Bulk Terminal in the Outer Harbour, marking the first time such a structure has been installed in Western Australia. Taking 24 hours to inflate, the giant white dome is the second of its type in Australia and is integral to Fremantle Ports’ new import circuit facility which will streamline the importation of clinker.
The new clinker circuit project consists of the dome plus a covered conveyor network which will link directly to the adjacent Cockburn Cement Ltd plant and also deliver efficiency benefits to the state’s other major clinker importer, BGC.
Fremantle Ports CEO, Michael Parker, said the storage dome is able to hold an entire shipment of clinker – around 40,000t – with the project replacing existing aged cargo-handling assets with new facilities capable of handling future trade growth.
“Without clinker, industry stops and every tonne of the commodity entering Western Australia comes through the Kwinana Bulk Terminal. More than 1.1Mt of clinker are imported each year through the Kwinana Bulk Terminal, destined for domestic, commercial and industrial construction projects throughout the state, said Mr Parker. "Around half comes from Indonesia, with the remainder from Japan, Malaysia, Philippines and the UAE."
Fremantle Ports reportedly chose a dome storage solution instead of a conventional dry product shed as it has a smaller ground footprint at the Kwinana Bulk Terminal. “The clinker dome holds the same amount of product as a conventional shed but has a much smaller ground footprint. This is of significant benefit to future proofing the Kwinana Bulk Terminal as we can make space for other trades, sheds and systems as we continue to develop and grow in the years to come,” explained Mr Parker.
The dome was built using cutting-edge technology - firstly constructing a concrete ring beam, then inflating an air form membrane and spraying a layer of foam before finally installing steel reinforcing and applying shotcreting to the inside of the membrane.
