July 12, 2013

 

Emerald Grain invested US$120 million to acquire Australian Bulk Alliance (ABA) and consolidate the company as a fully integrated grain marketing and logistics group while the plan to expand the terminal's capacity in the next three years was announced by the company's General Manager John Warda.

 

According to new Emerald Grain CEO John Murray, "This exciting change for Emerald underlines our goal to service Australian grain growers and our industry clients across the entire grain supply chain in Australia."

 

Murray said, "The change in name not only reflects the change in ownership but also means a better experience for customers who store or sell grain with Emerald Grain. Now there will be one point of contact for all grain marketing and storage and handling needs."

 

The rebranding also coincided with the launch of the new Emerald Grain website: www.emeraldgrain.com.  Through its supply chain arm, Emerald Grain has 1.5 million tonne storage capacity across 15 storage and handling facilities throughout New South Wales and Victoria. It has alliances and strong logistics and shipping arrangements that allow export from all states and from over 17 export terminals around Australia.

 

Emerald Grain is one of Australia's largest grain exporters. Through its own Melbourne Port Terminal and other terminals across Australia, it exports to over 35 countries globally. Following a record year of exports, plans are afoot to expand Emerald Grain's terminal at the Port of Melbourne.

 

"Subject to the Port of Melbourne Corporation's agreement, we are proposing to build additional grain storage and add extra road intake facilities to improve the throughput capability at the port," Emerald Grain's General Manager John Warda said.

 

"Once these works are complete, the terminal will be capable of exporting around 2.4 million tonnes per year."

 

The news comes amid celebrations at the grain export terminal, following its first full financial year of operations under Emerald Grain's stewardship.

 

The company says annual port throughput hit a 10-year high of 1.4 million tonnes from July 2012 to June 2013. Exports included about 1.3 million tonnes of bulk shipments of wheat, barley, rapeseed and corn and 100,000 tonnes of containerised grain. The grain was shipped to 17 countries throughout Asia, Africa, the Middle East and the Pacific.

 

A record number of ships also berthed at the terminal this year, with 47 vessels loading an average of 27,000 tonnes each.

 

"We are extremely pleased with the way the terminal is performing," Warda says.

 

"Depending on the season, we could match or beat our record again this year."

 

Warda says the higher-than-average throughput is partly due to Emerald's use of the rail network in Victoria and New South Wales. The terminal aims to receive at least 50% of all grain via rail.

 

"This year Emerald's trains have hauled more than 500,000 tonnes of grain to Victorian ports, primarily through our own Melbourne port terminal," Warda says.

 

Grain moving through the terminal comes from farmers in the Mallee, Wimmera, north central Victoria and the New South Wales Riverina regions.