Cockburn overhauls dredging fleet

Quicklime manufacturer Cockburn Cement will spend about $1 million to overhaul its dredging fleet, which includes the dredge Success, three barges and the workboat Carnac.

Undergoing its two yearly inspection and overhaul recently, the Cockburn fleet was lifted out of the water for maintenance at the Tenix shipyard in Henderson.

The work was a combination of general maintenance and planned maintenance overhauls and vessel improvements.

This included sand blasting and repainting of the hulls and superstructure and repairs of hull defects, stripping down and reconditioning the range of power packs, electric motors and compressors as required, and implementing safety improvements.

Cockburn Cement has been dredging shellsand since 1972.

Shellsand has a high calcium carbonate content, necessary for the manufacture of quicklime – essential to the production of alumina, gold and mineral sands.

It is a vital resource to WA which is the world’s largest producer of alumina and one of the world’s biggest gold producers.

The shore-based washplant at Woodman Point and the steel pipes that carry the shellsand slurry to the works stockpile also underwent a thorough inspection and maintenance.

Cockburn Cement manufactures 90 per cent of the quicklime produced in WA.