When i moved to Mackay 10 years ago, if I recall correctly, total port capacity was about 45mtpa. That was for the entire bowen basin at that time servicing about 15 mines. In fact it was actually two ports just located each side of a small bay. And the rail line couldn't handle much more so it had to be upgraded as they bagan expqnding port capacity. 20mtpa output from a singular mine is a huge capacity. If there are several exporting projects out of LV each project would be limited in their output if a sharing arrangement was in place on rail and port infrastucture. As typically, at start up stage, each project's manager/owner doesn't want to commit fully to capital costs for the rail and port build. 10 years ago BHP et al were trying to get the Qld taxpayer to pay for the port expansion. If Exergen is the only operator out of the Western side of Melbourne, yes they will be going it alone in the sense they will probably have to front up with some cash for port expansion( part of that big Capex is for port expqnsion). But they will have no competitors for the port and rail capacity. When the mining boom hit the Pilbara and Bowen Basin the biggest bottleneck for existing companies was port and rail access. Herein lies the commercial advantage of a bce project at BM.
MNM Price at posting:
10.9¢ Sentiment: Hold Disclosure: Held
