Long Harbour Wharf - Marine Development

Abstract

Long Harbour, Newfoundland is located on the South-East Coast, which is an ideal location for shipping routes. The location of Long Harbour has been taken advantage of prior to the construction of the Nickel Processing Plant, as Long Harbour was originally used as the main processing site for the Electric Reduction Company of Canada Industries Limited (ERCO) in the late 1960’s.[2] The Long Harbour Nickel Processing Plant began construction in April 2009 on the same site as the previous plant, using the existing wharf as a base for the construction of a larger wharf structure. Vale’s intentions are to use the production plant for the Voisey’s Bay mined ore in Labrador. The Long Harbour Marine Development project accomplishes the initial stage of what will be a multi-stage process in nickel extraction. The wharf receives the nickel concentrate from the Voisey’s Bay mine, which is transported via bulk carriers, thus making it a vital stage in the commissioning of the plant. The wharf construction itself has multiple stages and the following paper will highlight the economic advantages of the marine development, a brief project description, the challenges presented with the construction phases, environmental requirements of the project and the remaining work which needs to be completed.