SA project to boost iron ore exports

The Braemar Bulk Export Project is a planned A$5 billion infrastructure corridor in South Australia intended to boost iron ore exports. The state government has declared it a major development, meaning it will undergo stringent environmental and economic assessment before any approval.

According to South Australia’s Infrastructure and Mineral Resources Minister Tom Koutsantonis, the project could allow for an eight‑fold increase in the amount of iron ore currently being exported, if it receives approval.

If approved, the 385‑kilometre corridor would include four underground iron ore slurry pipelines, roads, a power transmission network, fibre optic communications, and four water pipelines to link inland iron ore resources to port.

The project is designed to link iron ore resources in South Australia’s north‑east with the upper Spencer Gulf. A proposed floating processing, storage and offloading facility would be located in Spencer Gulf about four kilometres off the coast near Wallaroo.

The proposal includes a floating processing, storage and offloading facility positioned in Spencer Gulf roughly four kilometres from the coast near Wallaroo. Its role would be to process and handle iron ore shipments before export through the gulf.

The South Australian government has declared the project a major development, which subjects it to the most stringent environmental and economic assessments. Approval will depend on the outcomes of those rigorous reviews.

The state minister described the corridor as a low‑cost, high‑volume export solution. That suggests the infrastructure is intended to reduce unit transport costs while enabling much larger export volumes, should the project be approved.

Investors should monitor the formal environmental and economic assessment outcomes, any approvals or rejections from the state, and announcements about construction timing or commercial partners. These milestones will determine if and when the Braemar Bulk Export Project moves forward.