Shared success through long term business collaborations

Glencore's Port Operations in Townsville serve as the crucial export hub for our integrated north Queensland copper and zinc supply chain and host the $85 million Berth 8 shiploader. As the Port of Townsville’s oldest and largest customer, our operations trace back nearly 100 years to the founding of Mount Isa Mines.

The $85 million Berth 8 shiploader, a joint venture between Port of Townsville, Glencore and Incitec Pivot Limited (IPL), has been operational since 2015. It handles mineral concentrates and fertiliser products, including those from third-party producers and fertiliser from IPL’s Phosphate Hill operation.

At Glencore, we engage with business partners that have a shared vision and mutual trust. Our enduring partnership with the Port spans a century while other long-term partnerships date back many years.

For 24 years, Incitec Pivot Fertilisers (IPF), Australia’s leading east coast manufacturer and distributor of fertiliser, has relied on our Port Operations to manage the export of their fertiliser products from Townsville. IPF, a division of Incitec Pivot Limited (IPL), transports Di-Ammonium Phosphate fertiliser via rail from their largest Australian plant at Phosphate Hill, located 900 kilometres west of Townsville in the Cloncurry Shire.

John Cordingley, Glencore Port Operations Superintendent, notes that each year, Glencore loads 60 to 70 ships, exporting approximately 600,000 tonnes of mineral concentrates and 900,000 tonnes of fertiliser to ports across Australia and around the globe.

“We work closely with IPF to ensure their product is loaded safely at Berth 8 before being transported to domestic and international customers”, John says.

IPF also own and operate the Mount Isa Sulphuric Acid Plant which sits alongside our Mount Isa Mines Copper Smelter serving the interests of both businesses.

Most of the smelter gases are captured and transferred to IPF’s Acid Plant, where they are processed to produce sulphuric acid, a key ingredient in manufacturing ammonium phosphates at Phosphate Hill.

Martin Gleeson, IPL’s National Shipping and Logistics Manager, said the strong partnership between Glencore and IPF ensures smooth operations and positive customer outcomes for both businesses.

“Our partnership with Glencore includes sharing a berth at Townsville port which is where our ammonium phosphate fertilisers are shipped to our distribution centres across eastern Australia, as well as international markets.”

Glencore’s Berth 8 fun facts:

• The shiploader was designed in Spain and built in Vietnam
• Berth 8 can accommodate vessels up to 220 metres in length
• A resident White-bellied sea eagle has a nest on the shiploader, with one of her chicks returning annually. The nest was originally on Berth 7, and the family has been nesting in the area for four decades.