While coal comprised 97million tonnes of the 103million tonnes in total business, Newcastle Port Corporation chief executive Gary Webb said non-coal trade was pleasingly strong.

Mr Webb said the volume of non-coal cargoes, including aluminium, grain, fertiliser and woodchips, rose by 590,000tonnes to 5.94million tonnes. In value terms, the non-coal cargo rose by $390million to $3.08billion.

The number of vessel movements – arrivals, departures and inter-berth transfers – totalled 3646, an increase of 148 on the previous 12months.

A spokesman for the corporation said the financial totals were estimates based on detailed analysis of the port’s cargoes, their prevailing prices and currency exchange rates at the time.

The 97.08million tonnes of coal shipped over the year was valued at $9.97billion, which works out an average price of $102.70 a tonne.

Ports and Waterways Minister Paul McLeay said the record result was particularly impressive in the context of the global financial crisis.

Mr Webb said the opening of the port’s third coal-loader meant the port would continue to set new monthly and annual coal-handling records, as shown by the 9.05million tonnes of coal shipped in July, the first month of the new financial year.

This eclipsed the previous record of 8.97million tonnes in December last year.