Fremantle Port Authority commissioned a new continuous ship unloader at its Kwinana Bulk Jetty in the Outer Harbour at Kwinana in May 2001. The unloader was supplied and installed by Swedish company, BMH Marine AB.

The $11 million unloader was purchased principally for use by Anaconda Nickel which has a contract with Fremantle Port for the importation of sulphur at the Kwinana Bulk Jetty. However, it is available to service other importers at the Bulk Cargo Jetty berths.

The new ship unloader will be used in association with a covered conveyor system, sulphur storage facility and rail spur which were installed in 1998 to service the Anaconda Nickel project in Western Australia's Eastern Goldfields.

The unloader has an unloading capacity of 17,500 tonnes per day based on a 22.5 hour working day. In addition, it has a 25 tonne lifting capacity to place front-end loaders and excavators used in the unloading and clean up of the vessel. It has been designed to unload Panamax size vessels.

The BMH Siwertell ship-unloading system provides benefits in terms of its high unloading rates and low impacts on the environment.

The electrically powered auger-style unloader has a portal gantry frame that runs on the jetty rails. Product from the ship can be discharged onto the existing jetty conveyor or into trucks for transport ashore.

The environmental benefits of continuous unloader technology were a significant factor in Fremantle Ports of the acquisition unloader.