Terminal Overview
DBCT is located at the Port of Hay Point, 38km south of Mackay in Queensland and was established in 1983 by the Queensland Government as a common User coal export facility.The terminal is linked to the Bowen Basin coalfields by the electrified Goonyella rail system operated by QR.
DBCT exports approximately 52 Mtpa (FY2004/05) of the world's seaborne coal trade (approximately 6%), making it Queensland's largest export coal terminal. DBCT is a common-user facility with a large number of Users and as such the operation of DBCT is unique when compared to most other coal terminals.
In 2001, the Government of Queensland, represented by PCQ and DBCT Holdings P/L, awarded a long-term lease for DBCT (50-year term with a 49-year renewal option) to a consortium collectively known as Coal Logistics-North Queensland (CL-NQ), which, after an IPO in June 2002, became the Prime Infrastructure Group.
On 1 July 2005, Prime Infrastructure was restructured and changed its name to Babcock & Brown Infrastructure (BBI). The DBCT asset is managed by BBI (DBCT) Management Pty Ltd which is based in BBI's Brisbane office.
For the purposes of this website, "BBI" collectively stands for the leaseholder and related entities responsible for fulfilling the duties related to the DBCT lease and Port Services Agreement (PSA).
DBCT is an export coal terminal which is owned independently of miners, and as such tries to achieve the optimum balance of meeting terminal Users' needs for receiving, stockpiling and processing coal within the context of its commercial obligations.
In contrast, export terminals that are owned by the coal producers (i.e. vertically integrated) may be operated to maximise the profitability of the mines, which may be slightly at odds to running an efficient multi-User terminal.
The direct terminal operations and maintenance functions are provided by Dalrymple Bay Coal Terminal Pty Ltd (DBCT P/L), via the continuation of an Operations & Maintenance Contract (OMC) contract held with PCQ prior to the lease by BBI.
The option for the second term of the OMC was declared by DBCT P/L in 2003 and is current for 5 years. At the end of this term, the Operator may exercise a third term in its favour.
Additional information can be gained from the website at http://www.bbinfrastructure.com