Proponents of the planned T4 coal loader at the Newcastle Port face their final hurdle this week, with 100 speakers addressing a Planning Assessment Commission (PAC) hearing over two days.

Coal industry reps including Port Waratah Coal Services (PWCS) boss Henny Du Plooy are expected to go head-to-head with vocal opponents of the coal industry at the hearings.

The T4 project is set to be built on Kooragang Island after it was recommended for approval by the PAC late last year and received approval from the NSW planning department.

PCWS currently has the capacity to load 142 million tonnes of coal per year, but the $5 billion T4 loader should increase this capacity by 70 million tonnes.

PWCS chief executive Hennie du Plooy claims exports from the Newcastle terminals are on par with this time last year, despite a “challenging economic climate”.

A Coal Services report recently showed coal exports from NSW had increased 5 per cent on the previous financial year, indicating that demand in the Asian regions continues.

But coal exports have taken a massive hit nationwide, down 38.2 per cent for the first five months of 2015, compared to 2014 figures.

The proponents say the T4 construction project will create approximately 1,500 new jobs and 80 operations positions after completion.