Richard Hughes
Assets & Engineering Manager, Sugar Terminals
Richard is the Assets & Engineering Manager at Sugar Terminals Limited, where he is responsible for plant performance, maintenance and capital programs for six (6) bulk sugar export terminals at Queensland ports between Cairns and Bundaberg . He has 35 years of international experience in engineering design, construction and asset management for bulk materials handling facilities, heavy industry, transport infrastructure and utilities. Prior to joining STL, Richard held engineering, project management and asset management roles with government agencies and consulting firms including Queensland Urban Utilities, Gold Coast City Council, UK National Rivers Authority and the predecessors of Aurecon and AECOM.
Issues to Consider when Upgrading Existing Port Facilities to Handle Other Products
When upgrading existing port facilities to handle multiple products in addition to the original designated product, there are numerous aspects to consider, particularly when the original facility was constructed some years ago. Generally, the driver for change is an opportunity to stimulate economic development in the region and increase the productivity of the port by attracting new users and a range of new products. However, bulk materials handling facilities are generally designed around a single product, so catering for new products requires careful consideration of several important factors. These include handling rates across a range of products, strength and stability of machines across varying bulk densities, environmental controls and approvals, site safety and management of change for site personnel.