Strong battery metals demand delivers improved trade, profit at Albany, Bunbury, Esperance ports authority

Surging demand for grain and battery metals has bolstered activity at ports in Albany, Bunbury and Esperance and delivered an $61.4 million profit to the State Government-owned authority Southern Ports. Results for the authority tabled in State parliament on Thursday show the port operator’s year-on-year profit grew about 35 per cent in the year to June on the back of a steady uptick in total trade and number of ship visits to WA’s three major South West sea terminals. Total trade in that time was boosted by a 1.2m tonne increase in exports and a 50,000t fall in imports. Activity at WA’s South West ports has grown steadily over the last five years with Port of Bunbury servicing the likes of Talison Lithium and Port of Esperance counting the likes of Allkem and First Quantum Minerals as major customers. Alumina, grain and iron ore comprise most of the commodities exported through Southern Ports-controlled terminals. In a joint introduction, chair Ian Shepherd and chief executive Keith Wilks chalked up the improved results to “extraordinary grain exports and world demand for battery minerals”. They flagged further investment in the region’s ports to support the expansion of trade in the next five years. “Trade development and customer service will be key areas of focus in the year ahead as we look to build upon our work to create a pipeline of trade at each of our ports,” they said. “Customer growth plans must be supported by port growth plans, and we are well placed to provide advice on the investment required and to work with our customers for mutually beneficial capacity solutions.”