While the new terminal was officially opened in May, the second stacker reclaimer is in the process of being commissioned.

The completed first stage development of the terminal will give it capacity of 30 million tonnes per annum, expected in 2011.

At the moment the terminal can load Panamax vessels.

The remediation project will clean up parts of the Hunter River bed affected by the Newcastle Steelworks during its decades of operation.

BHP said the river works of the project were 50% complete in its June community newsletter, while dredging of the secondary remediation zone was 90% complete.

Dredging of the primary zone, the final phase of this work, was underway.

NCIG has government approval to expand the terminal to 66Mtpa.

The consortium completed the feasibility study for the second-stage expansion last year and has earmarked land for a separate 90Mtpa terminal, Terminal 4.

NCIG consists of BHP Billiton, Donaldson Coal, Whitehaven Coal, Centennial Coal, Peabody and Yancoal Australia following its acquisition of Felix Resources.