Whittens wins $15m NSW coal contract

Perth-based concrete construction group Whittens has been awarded a $15.5 million contract for civil concrete construction works at the Boggabri coal handling and processing plant in New South Wales.

Whittens will undertake concrete construction works, detailed earthworks, formwork and reinforcement at the plant from next month.

Boggabri Coal is owned by Idemitsu Australia Resources, a subsidiary of Japanese company Idemitsu Kosa.

It plans to ramp up production at the plant to 6.9 million tonnes per annum, with a joint venture between Thiess and Sedgman designing and constructing a $186 million coal handling and preparation plant to support its expansion. 

Whittens director Clayton Whitten said the contract would boost the company's position in the eastern states coal sector.

"The NSW market is traditionally quite competitive with local contractors best positioned for such projects, so it has been a strategic success for Whittens to have secured such a critical project in the coal handling space," he said.

Whittens is currently in the process of delivering $50 million worth of civil concrete works at Yara Pilbara's $800 million technical ammonium nitrate plant in Karratha.

It is also delivering $26 million worth of works at Monadelphous' Caval Ridge coal mine in Queensland and a contract at INPEX's Ichthys LNG project in Darwin.

The company has more than 300 staff across the nation, with offices in Brisbane and Darwin in addition to its head office in Perth.