“The company made a decision to suspend operations at its Hay Point Coal Terminal on the morning of March 11, as a result of strong winds and sea conditions affecting the region,” BMA said in a statement to International Longwall News.

Railings will continue as normal and BMA expects “limited impacts to be recovered”

“We will continue to monitor conditions to decide when it is safe to reopen the terminal,” BMA spokeswoman Fiona Martin said.

The port comprises two separate coal export terminals, Dalrymple Bay Coal Terminal (DBCT), leased from the state government by private company DBCT Management, and the Hay Point Coal Terminal (HPCT), owned and operated by BMA.

DBCT, which lies further south, remains open at this stage.

Together, the two terminals serve the coal mines of Central Queensland. The mines are linked to the terminals through an integrated rail-port network. NQBP is the port authority for the port.

BMA owns and operates seven Bowen Basin mines – Goonyella Riverside, Broadmeadow, Peak Downs, Saraji, Norwich Park, Gregory Crinum, and Blackwater – that use the Hay Point terminal.

Following a recent expansion program, the terminal has the capacity to handle and despatch around 43-45 million tonnes of coal a year.