- 1 A TERMINAL AND A METHOD FOR LOADING A SHIP WITH BULK MATERIAL Technical Field 5 The disclosure herein generally relates to a terminal for loading a ship with bulk material, and a method for loading a ship at a terminal with bulk material. The terminal may also be employed for unloading a ship. Background Art 10 Bulk material, examples of which include but are not limited to grain, coal, iron ore and bauxite, may be transported form e.g. a bulk material site to a terminal where a ship is then loaded with the bulk material. Where a ship has not yet arrived at the terminal, bulk material delivered by vehicles such as trains and trucks can be stockpiled on land near the terminal. 15 Stockpiled bulk material is reclaimed from the stockpiles by, for example, a bucket wheel reclaimer and subsequently transported by belt conveyors (sometimes very long belt conveyors) to the terminal. Examples are shown in each of EP 2161229, DE 4303481 and FR 2379457. While this approach may provide a satisfactory ship loading rate, stockpiles can 20 occupy valuable real estate and may damage environmentally sensitive sites. In addition, the operation of conveyor belts, especially very long conveyor belts, can consume considerable power. Conveyor belts can also require regular maintenance and be prone to failure, either of which may interrupt operation of the terminal. In addition, vehicles (such as trains or trucks) delivering bulk material may be 25 accumulated near a terminal prior to their unloading, rather than being promptly unloaded and returned. For example, accumulation can be employed prior to the arrival of a ship at the terminal. This practice may also require the use of valuable real estate or environmentally sensitive land, and can detain vehicles that could be otherwise be used to transport more bulk material. 30 The rate of loading bulk material onto a ship may be limited by at least one of the rate at which bulk material is delivered and the rate at which bulk material is loaded onto the ship at the terminal. To address loading/unloading rates, floating loading/unloading barges and piers have been proposed. See, for example, US 4,422,400 and CA 1036531. 35 The above references to the background art do not constitute an admission that the art forms a part of the common general knowledge of a person of ordinary skill in 5342343_1 (GHMatters) P89873.AU.1 - 2 the art. The above references are also not intended to limit the application of the terminal and method as disclosed herein. Summary of the Disclosure 5 Disclosed herein is a terminal in the form of a pier for loading a ship with bulk material. Whilst generally the terminal will be described herein in relation to the loading of a ship with bulk material, it should be understood that the terminal may easily be reconfigured for unloading of a ship, or for both loading and unloading of a ship. 10 The pier may comprise a railway. The pier may further comprise a mechanism to unload the bulk material from one or more rail wagons on the terminal railway. The mechanism may transfer the bulk material to the ship. The pier may also comprise bulk material storage located thereat. The bulk material storage may receive bulk material from the one or more rail wagons on the 15 terminal railway. The mechanism may also transfer the bulk material to the bulk material storage. The bulk material storage may be used, for example, where a ship is not berthed at the terminal, but where it is nevertheless desired to unload the one or more wagons. In an embodiment the terminal may be configured such that the bulk material is 20 able to respectively load, or to simultaneously load, onto the ship from the one or more rail wagons and the bulk material storage. Generally, the terminal has at least one berth. A ship may be received at the at least one berth and be subsequently loaded with bulk material from the one or more rail wagons and/or from the bulk material storage. Accordingly, the bulk material need not 25 be stockpiled on land adjacent to the terminal, which land may in some situations be valuable and/or environmentally sensitive. For example, a train may travel onto the terminal and immediately start to load a waiting ship and/or unload into the bulk material storage. In addition, because the ship can be loaded with bulk material from the one or 30 more rail wagons and/or from the bulk material storage, there is no need to reclaim bulk material from stockpiles, which may be expensive, dangerous, and complicated. The need for belt conveyors to transport bulk material from stockpiles to the terminal can be substantially reduced or eliminated, which can reduce power consumption, increase power efficiency, and improve the reliability of loading. 35 Further, the need to accumulate trains that deliver the bulk material can be substantially reduced or eliminated, because the bulk material may instead be directly loaded onto the ship from the rail wagon(s) or be unloaded into bulk material storage 5342343_1 (GHMatters) P89873.AU.1 - 3 and the empty wagons then promptly moved off the terminal. The probability that a ship is delayed because of slow bulk material transfer from stockpiles, breakdown of conveyor belts, or the bulk material not being ready or available for loading can also be reduced or eliminated. Consequently, the probability of demurrage may be reduced 5 relative to known terminals. In an embodiment, the terminal may be operable to simultaneously load onto the ship another delivery of bulk material from one or more rail wagons and from the bulk material storage. This simultaneous loading may greatly increase the rate at which the ship is loaded with bulk material. The amount of time the ship spends at the terminal 10 may be reduced, which may increase the proportion of time the ship transports bulk material rather than sitting at a port, and may increase the number of ships that can be processed by the terminal within a given time period. Consequently, the terminal may be more efficient, more profitable, and have less instances of demurrage relative to known terminals. 15 In an embodiment, the terminal may comprise a ship loader. The ship loader may be configured and be operable to receive and deliver to the ship bulk material from either one or both of the rail wagon(s) and bulk material storage. The ship loader may also be configured and be operable to receive bulk material from the rail wagon(s) and to deliver this bulk material to the bulk material storage. Because the ship loader can be 20 configured and operated to perform these functions, there may be no need for separate systems or machines to perform these functions, improving efficiency and reducing the mass of the terminal. Reduced terminal mass may be beneficial where, for example, the terminal is an offshore terminal (e.g. connected to the shore by a rail bridge). In an embodiment, the bulk material storage may comprise a plurality of bulk 25 material storage bins. The ship loader may be configured and operated to selectively deliver bulk material to each one of the storage bins. For example, once one of the storage bins has been filled with bulk material, the ship loader can be moved and can then fill another (e.g. adjacent) storage bin. In an embodiment, the terminal may comprise a bulk material combiner. The 30 combiner may be arranged to form a combination of bulk material comprising bulk material from both the rail wagon(s) and bulk material storage. The combiner may be in communication with the ship loader. For example, the combined bulk material may be transferred (e.g. by conveyor) from the combiner to the ship loader. The terminal may comprise a combination conveyor arranged to transfer the combination to the ship 35 loader. The combination conveyor may comprise, for example, a belt conveyor or another suitable conveyer such as a chute or slide. However, the terminal may be 5342343_1 (GHMatters) P89873.AU.1 - 4 operated such that the bulk material streams are not combined prior to loading onto the ship. In an embodiment the terminal railway may be configured to receive a train with fully laden rail wagons having the delivery of bulk material. A railway can provide a 5 highly efficient means of transporting the bulk material to the terminal. For example, extending the railway onto the terminal, and then directing one train after another onto the terminal, can be significantly more energy efficient than the use of large conveyor belts transferring material from an onshore stockpile to an offshore terminal. A railway may also be more reliable than a conveyor belt or other conveyance means. 10 In an embodiment the one or more bulk material rail wagons may, for example, each comprise a gondola, although any suitable wagon may be used including but not limited to a hopper car, covered hopper, open wagon, rotary car dumper, tippler, etc. In an embodiment the terminal may comprise a rail wagon unloader arranged to transfer the delivery of bulk material from the wagon. The rail wagon unloader may 15 comprise a rotary dumper, or it may be configured to work with a rotary car dumper, etc. The rail wagon unloader may be arranged to dispose the delivery of bulk material onto a bulk material receiver. The bulk material receiver may comprise at least one of a chute and a bin, conveyor, or any other suitable structure. The bulk material receiver may be part of the bulk material combiner. The bulk material receiver may be in 20 communication with the bulk material storage. The bulk material receiver may also simultaneously receive bulk material from a bulk material rail wagon and the bulk material storage. This may, but not necessarily, occur when the ship is being loaded. In an embodiment the terminal may comprise a conveyor system that can be arranged to transport bulk material from the bulk material storage to the bulk material 25 receiver. In an embodiment, the railway may be a continuation of a railway from a bulk material production site, examples of which include but are not limited to a mine and a farm. There may be no need for intermediate transport of bulk material from a stockpile, for example, to the terminal. The bulk material may be delivered directly to 30 the terminal by the railway. This may greatly improve efficiencies and improve reliability. This may also simplify ship loading. In an embodiment, the railway may be a continuation of an elevated railway. The elevated railway may traverse rough or environmentally sensitive land upon which it may not be appropriate to place a ground level railway. An elevated railway may 35 easily negotiate a rocky shoreline, for example, and proceed to the terminal. For example, an environmentally sensitive intertidal zone may be minimally disturbed by an elevated railway crossing it. 5342343_1 (GHMatters) P89873.AU.1 - 5 In an embodiment, the terminal railway is looped on the terminal. A looped railway may enable the at least one bulk material rail wagon to travel onto the terminal and subsequently off the terminal, in a single way, with minimal or no railway switches, turnouts or points, sidings etc. 5 In an embodiment, the terminal may comprise a plurality of berths. For example, the plurality of berths may be located on opposite sides of the loop, and optionally at an end of the loop. Each of the plurality of berths may have a ship loader. Consequently, a plurality of ships may berth at the plurality of berths and be simultaneously loaded (and /or may be simultaneously unloaded when the terminal is 10 configured in this manner). Each of the ship loaders may be in communication with the bulk material storage and a bulk material receiver. In an embodiment, the terminal may comprise a supporting platform raised above a body of water. The railway and bulk material storage may be supported by the supporting platform. The body of water may be a sea, ocean, river, lake or some other 15 body of water. The terminal may be located such that the water at the at least one berth can be of a natural depth. The offshore terminal may be located at a relatively deep part of the body of water. The bed of the body of water may consequently not require dredging or other works in order that a ship may berth at the terminal. For example, the terminal may be located in a depth of water of 20 metres or more to permit handy size, 20 handy max, panama and cape size bulk carrier ships to berth. In some embodiments, the terminal may be located at a depth of water sufficient for a china max vessel to berth. Channel forming may not be required. Pilot support may not be needed to berth the ship where a substantial depth of the water exists. 25 Also disclosed herein is a method for loading bulk material onto a ship located at a terminal that extends offshore in the form of a pier. The method comprises transporting one or more rail wagons laden with the bulk material onto the pier. The method also comprises loading the bulk material from or to the one or more rail wagons. 30 In an embodiment, at least some of the bulk material unloaded from the one or more rail wagons may be transferred directly to the ship. In an embodiment, at least some of the bulk material unloaded from the one or more rail wagons may be transferred to bulk material storage located at the terminal. In an embodiment, the method may comprise respectively or simultaneously 35 loading onto the ship bulk material from the one or more rail wagons and the bulk material storage. In this regard, the method may comprise combining at least some of the bulk material from the rail wagon(s) with that from bulk material storage. 5342343_1 (GHMatters) P89873.AU.1 - 6 The terminal may be a terminal as disclosed above. It will be appreciated that the advantages described above are generally also applicable to the method. For example, a ship loader may be configured and operated to selectively communicate bulk material to the ship and to the bulk material storage. 5 In an embodiment of the method the rail wagon(s) may be caused to travel around a loop. The wagon(s) may be tilted to unload the delivery of bulk material. Where applicable, any one or more features disclosed above may be combined, including features of the terminal and the method. 10 Brief Description of the Drawings Embodiments of a terminal for loading a ship with bulk material, and a method for loading a ship at a terminal with bulk material, will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a terminal for loading a 15 ship with bulk material, and an example of a ship at the terminal; Figure 2 shows a detail of Figure 1 in which a delivery of bulk material is being disposed in bulk material storage; Figure 3 and Figure 4 show different aspects of the terminal of Figure 1 while the ship is being loaded with bulk material; 20 Figure 5 shows a view in elevation of an example railway adjacent the terminal of Figure 1; Figure 6 shows a transverse section of the railway of Figure 5; Figure 7 shows a cut away view of a terminal housing of the terminal of Figure 1, revealing an example of a rail coupling structure arranged to couple a railway of the 25 terminal to the railway of Figure 5; Figure 8 shows a perspective view of another embodiment of a terminal for loading a ship with bulk material, and two examples of ships at the terminal; and Figures 9 to 13 show various details of the terminal of Figure 8. 30 Detailed Description of Specific Embodiments Figure 1 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a terminal for loading a ship with bulk material, the terminal being generally indicated by the numeral 10. In this but not all embodiments the terminal is an offshore terminal located at a body of water 30 navigable by ships such as bulk freighters and carriers. The terminal has bulk 35 material storage in the form of a plurality of bulk material storage bins such as those indicated by numerals 14 and 48. In this embodiment, but not necessarily in all embodiments, there are two chains of bulk material storage bins 16 and 18. The 5342343_1 (GHMatters) P89873.AU.1 terminal is operable to dispose a delivery of bulk material to the terminal in the bulk material storage 16, 18. The terminal 10 comprises a railway 20 arranged to receive at least one bulk material rail wagon having the delivery of bulk material. The rail wagon may travel 5 along the railway 20. In this but not necessarily in all embodiments, the railway 20 is a continuation of a railway 22 accessible at a bulk material production site such as a mine or a farm. The railway 22, in this but not in all embodiments, is elevated. The elevated railway 22 may, for example, cross a rough coastline and intertidal zone with minimal land use and environmental impact. The railway 20 is looped to form a tear shape. In 10 one example, the rail wagon is one of a train of gondola rail wagons coupled by rotating-shaft couplers (that facilitate the use of a rotary dumper) pulled by a diesel locomotive. The rail wagon is directed while within a terminal housing 23 to one side 24 of the railway loop. After circling around the end 26 of the loop the rail wagon travels via another side of the loop 28 and is rejoined to the railway 22 within housing 15 23. The wagon may then return to the bulk material production site empty. Each side 24, 28 of the loop 20 has a berth for a ship such as a bulk carrier 12. The terminal housing 23 may contain railway points or switches, terminal control systems, offices, fuel storage, freshwater storage, customs, etc. The terminal 10 also comprises a supporting platform 19 raised above a body of 20 water 30. The platform is supported by a plurality of piles 31 driven into the bed below the body of water 30. Alternative supporting means may be used, for example trestles, poles or piers or any suitable supporting means. The railway 20 and the bulk material storage 16, 18 are supported by the supporting platform 19 above the body of water 30. In the embodiment of Figure 1, the supporting platform 19 comprises platform sections, 25 including but not limited to bulk material storage supporting platform sections 21, and a railway supporting platform section, for example. The rail supporting platform section is approximately tear shaped, having two linear strip platform sections 25 connected by a curved end platform section 26. The bulk material storage platform sections 21 are disposed within the rail supporting platform sections. 30 In the embodiment of the terminal shown in Figure 1, the depth of the body of water 30 at the berths is a natural depth (that is, the bed of the body of water has not been dredged, or otherwise subjected to removal of its constituent materials). The terminal may be located at a sufficient distance from the shoreline to achieve this. However, the water is, in this embodiment, deep enough adjacent to the terminal 10 for 35 a bulk carrier or freighter such as 12 to approach and berth without requiring either a trench to be formed or pilot support to navigate the trench. 5342343_1 (GHMatters) P89873.AU.1 - 8 On the outside of the railway loop are ship loader supporting platform sections 32, 34 each supporting rails on which a respective ship loader 36, 38 may traverse. Suitable ship loaders may be available from suppliers including TENOVA TARKRAFT and SIVERTELm. Each ship loader may, as in the embodiment of 5 Figure 1, have an attached tripper 27 that transports material from a berth-side belt conveyor to the ship loader, the berth-side belt conveyor being arranged to convey bulk material along the ship loader supporting platform. In this embodiment, each of the ship loader supporting platform sections 32, 34 takes the form of a linear strip platform located at the respective berth. In some 10 embodiments, there may be more or less than two ship loader supporting platform sections and respective ship loaders; the number may correspond to the number of berths at the terminal. In other embodiments, some of the supporting platforms may not have rails located thereon, and the ship loaders may be mobile (e.g. supported on wheels/tires to travel along the supporting platforms). 15 In the embodiment depicted the ship loaders 36, 38 are each configured for moving between a first position, in which each loader is arranged to deliver bulk material to bulk material storage 16, 18, and a second position in which each loader is arranged to deliver bulk material into the hold of the ship 12. For example, each ship loader 36, 38 can be rotated around a vertical axis so that it can be orientated to fill the 20 ship 12 with bulk material or, when rotated around, fill the bulk material storage 16, 18 with bulk material. In a variation, each ship loader 36, 38 can be moved back-and-forth between bin and ship loading. In Figure 1, ship loader 36 is shown in an orientation in which it is able to fill a bulk material storage bin 48, while ship loader 38 is shown in an orientation in which it 25 is able to fill the hold of the ship 12. Ship loader 36 may also be rotated around approximately 1800 to fill a ship when berthed at terminal side 24, and similarly ship loader 38 may be rotated approximately 1800 to fill a given one of the storage bins 18. The ship loaders 36 and 38 can, for example, be moved along their respective ship loader supporting platform (e.g. on rails, wheels, etc) to fill any one of the storage bins 30 or to drop bulk material through any one of the ship's deck hatches into the hold of the ship 12. Because the ship loader is operable to perform two functions, that is dispose the delivery of bulk material in either one of the bulk material storage and the ship, there is no need for separate systems or machines to perform these two functions. This can 35 further improve efficiency and reduce the mass of the terminal. Reducing the mass of the terminal can be beneficial in that it can then support rail, and in that less supporting structure can be required, reducing material use, and capital and maintenance costs. 5342343_1 (GHMatters) P89873.AU.1 - 9 The mass of the terminal may be further reduced through the use of a relatively light rail, such as that depicted in the embodiment of Figure 1. In this embodiment, the railway 20 as shown is configured to receive laden rolling stock exerting around two tonnes of axle weight and around one tonne of structural load (that is one tonne per 5 linear meter of rail). In another embodiment, the railway may be configured to receive loaded rolling stock with up to four tonnes of axle load and two tonnes of structural load. The railway may further be reconfigured, for example, to receive loaded rolling stock with any one of. two through and up to ten tonnes of axle weight, and to receive loaded rolling stock that may exert any one of. one through and up to ten tonnes of 10 structural load. Figure 2 shows a detail of Figure 1 wherein the ship loader 36 is in position to fill one of the storage bins 48. To dispose bulk material in the bin 48, a rail wagon stops at a bulk material wagon unloader in the form of a rotary dumper 40. Suitable rotary dumpers may be provided by, for example, HEYL & PATTERSON INC. Any 15 suitable alternative wagon unloader, including but not limited to a turnover dumper, may be used. The rotary dumper 40 tilts the bulk material wagon within it to empty the bulk material therein onto a bulk material receiver (for more detail refer to the Figure 4 description below) located beneath the rotary dumper 40. In the case that the wagons are hopper wagons, the bottom of the wagons can be opened and the bulk material be 20 allowed to fall onto a bulk material receiver. Generally, any suitable means may be used to transfer bulk material from any suitable wagon to the terminal. In the embodiment of Figure 1, the bulk material receiver is part of a chute, but may be part of any suitable structure, for example a channel, bin or belt conveyor. The material receiver transports the bulk material to berth-side conveyor belt 42. Conveyer belt 42 25 transports the bulk material to a tripper 43, located adjacent to the ship loader 36, with the tripper 43 transferring the bulk material up to the ship loader 36. In Figure 2, the ship loader 36 is shown positioned such that the end of its conveyor belt 44 on the ship loader arm 47 is located over a top opening 46 of one of the storage bins 48. Consequently, the ship loader can be operated such that a delivery 30 of bulk material from one or more wagons is transferred and dropped into the bulk material storage. Usually the bulk material wagon will be one of a train of wagons such that, once the wagon is emptied, the train can advance one wagon length (or more) so that the next wagon (or a next series of wagons) can be emptied. In some embodiments, the rotary 35 dumper can be arranged to unload all of the wagons in a received train of wagons simultaneously. 5342343_1 (GHMatters) P89873.AU.1 - 10 Operation of the terminal for simultaneous loading onto the ship of at least some of the delivery of bulk material from the bulk material storage and another delivery of bulk material from a wagon unloader will now be described with reference to Figures 3 and 4 which show alternative views of the terminal around another wagon unloader 5 embodiment 50. The wagon unloader 50 in this embodiment takes the form of a rotary dumper, which tilts the wagons thereat, such as wagons 52 and 54, to drop the bulk material contained by the wagons onto a bulk material receiver 56 located beneath the rotary dumper 50. The bulk material receiver comprises a chute 58 having an upwardly facing surface. The chute has a hooded nose portion (or spout) 60 which directs the 10 bulk material that has travelled down the chute 58 onto belt conveyor 62. Belt conveyor 62 is arranged to transport the bulk material to a tripper 63 located adjacent to the ship loader 38. The tripper 63 transfers bulk material from the belt conveyor 62 to the ship loader 38. The ship loader 38 has its own conveyor 68 to then transfer bulk material into a hold of the ship 12. 15 It will also be seen in Figure 3 that belt conveyor 64 is part of a conveyor belt system 66 that communicates bulk material from the bulk material storage bins 18 to the bulk material receiver 56. Thus, bulk material from the bulk material storage bins 18 together with that from wagons, such as 52 and 54, located at the wagon unloader, can be combined at the chute 58, which then acts as a bulk material combiner. Thus the 20 bulk materials on conveyor 62 can comprise a combination of the presently delivered and past stored bulk materials. In this regard, conveyor system 66 includes a belt conveyor 70 (best seen in Figure 1) which travels beneath the storage bins 18. The bottom of the storage bins 18 have bulk material gates, which may be shutters, jaws or any other suitable means, that 25 can be opened to allow stored bulk material to drop onto the conveyor belt 70 and be communicated by conveyor system 66 to the chute 58. The bulk material gates may be actuated by hydraulic or electric drives, as part of a control system. Figure 5 shows, in elevation, a view of the elevated railway 22 on land adjacent to the terminal of Figure 1. Figure 6 shows a cross-section through the railway 22. The 30 structure has a lower way 71 and an upper way 72. Each of the upper and lower ways comprises a railway track. The railway 22 also has an elongated framework 74. The elongated framework has two trusses 76 which are laterally spaced apart. A plurality of top 77 and bottom 79 cross members connect the laterally spaced apart trusses. The cross members and trusses may be formed of steel beams that are wielded together. 35 The beams may be alternatively fastened by rivets, bolts, brackets, or any other suitable means. In another embodiment, the framework may, for example, comprise a 5342343_1 (GHMatters) P89873.AU.1 - 11 composite of steel and concrete, or may comprise a suitable material such as wood. Generally, the structure may have any suitable configuration and construction. In this but not necessarily all examples, the lower way is stronger than the upper way. Laden wagons may be transported on the stronger (e.g. lower) way and empty 5 wagons may be transported on the relatively weaker (e.g. upper) way. Consequently, the amount, complexity and cost of structural materials may be saved in that they may need not to be included in the relatively weaker way. Complexity may be reduced as the weaker way may be relatively less complex. The reduced mass of the weaker way allows for an increase in vehicle mass and loading. Figure 6, for example, shows a 10 transverse section of the railway of Figure 5 wherein the lower way is stronger than the upper way. In this case, the stronger way has rails of greater cross sectional area. Figure 7 shows a cut-away view of the terminal housing 23 revealing a rail coupling structure 100 arranged to couple rail track 20 of the terminal 10 to upper and lower ways of the railway 22. The rail coupling structure allows trains to travel on a 15 single set of tracks in one direction around the rail loop, and yet be coupled to the levels of the railway 22. For example, a train with fully laden wagons may travel onto the terminal 10 via a lower way 70 of railway 22. Having unloaded all bulk material at the terminal 10, the train with empty wagons may travel back into the rail coupling structure 100, whereupon it can be directed up onto the upper way 72 for its return 20 journey (e.g. to a mine, facility, etc). In so travelling it may travel (pass) over another train with fully laden wagons travelling in the opposite direction to the terminal on the lower way 70. Figure 8 shows a perspective view of another embodiment of terminal 200 for loading ships with bulk material, and two examples of ships 202, 204 at the terminal. 25 Figures 9 to 13 show various details of the terminal 200. Parts similar in form and/or function to those in Figures 1 to 7 are similarly numbered. In the embodiment of Figures 8 to 13 the terminal comprises a rectangular supporting platform 19. The supporting platform 19 is supported by a plurality of piles driven into the bed below the body of water 30. 30 The terminal 200 has a plurality of railways 20 arranged to receive at least one bulk material rail wagon having the delivery of bulk material. Switches 206 control the path the wagons take. The plurality of railways are a continuation of railway 22. A rail wagon may travel along the elevated railway 22 and be directed by points to at least one of the plurality of railways 20. Each of the plurality of railways 20 has an associated 35 wagon unloader 212 in the form of a rotary dumper. After the wagons have travelled from the lower way 208 onto one railway 210 of the plurality of railways 20, and been unloaded by a wagon unloader, the wagons 5342343_1 (GHMatters) P89873.AU.1 - 12 then travel around a rail coupling structure 216 and then onto the upper way of railway 22. The coupling structure 216 has inclined tracks that elevate the wagons that travel therealong. Beneath the rotary dumpers 212 is a bulk material receiver comprising conveyor 5 belts 220. Conveyor belts 220 convey the delivered bulk material to a bulk material combiner 221. Conveyor belts such as 222 are also arranged to convey stored bulk material from the bulk material storage 224 to the bulk material combiner 221. In this but not necessarily all embodiments, the bulk material storage is the form of a linear chain of bulk material storage bins. A lower section of the bulk material combiner 221 10 has further conveyor belts such as 226 that receive bulk material dropped from the ends of conveyors 220 from the rotary dumpers or conveyors 222 from the material storage bins. The combined bulk material is then transported by conveyors such as 226 to berth-side conveyors 228. Berth-side conveyors 228 are, for example, coupled to a tripper 230 and a ship loader 232. 15 Figure 10 shows arrows indicating the flow of material from the rotary dumpers, through the combiner and on to the trippers and ship loaders. Figure 11 shows the ship loaders in position to fill the bulk material storage with bulk material from the wagon unloaders. The arrows in Figure 11 indicate the flow of bulk material transport through the terminal. Figure 12 shows the ship loaders in position to dispose bulk material in 20 the hulls of the ships. The arrows in Figure 12 indicate the transport of bulk material from the bulk material storage through the terminal onto the ships. Figure 13 shows the ship loaders in position to dispose bulk material into the ships. The arrows in Figure 13 indicate the flow of bulk material from the wagon unloaders and the bulk material storage. In Figure 13, it will also be seen that material is being simultaneously loaded 25 from a present rail delivery and the bulk material storage. Now that a number of embodiments have been described, it will be appreciated that some embodiments may have some of the following advantages: - The use of stockpiles on land is not required, reducing the use of valuable 30 land and/or damage to environmentally sensitive sites; - The terminal can receive the stored bulk cargo even when there is no berthed ship; - The rate of loading bulk material onto a ship is not limited by the rate at which bulk material can be delivered and/or unloaded at the terminal; 35 - No wagon accumulation is required at the terminal; - The risk of demurrage is reduced compared to prior art terminals; 5342343_1 (GHMatters) P89873.AU.1 - 13 - Simultaneous loading from stored bulk material and that from a presently delivered wagon can provide for faster loading of a ship; - Having a terminal located offshore may reduce risks associated with exploding ships or terminals due, for example, to malfunction, fuel leakage 5 during refuelling, terrorist activity, etc; with any explosion being removed from land based facilities and people; - The railway may be much more efficient than other conveyance means used in prior art systems, such as belt conveyors from shore-based stockpiles, thus increasing the efficiency of the terminal, and also the reliability. 10 It will be appreciated that numerous variations and/or modifications may be made to the disclosed embodiments. For example, the terminal may be arranged to fill road trucks or road trains, not ships. The terminal can also be configured to unload ships into wagons of a train, etc. The bulk material storage may have any suitable form, 15 such as at least one of a container, hopper, boxcase, silo and coffer. Any suitable conveyance, means, not only belt conveyors, may be used in place of any of the disclosed conveyors, including slides, screws, chain conveyors, aeroslides, etc as appropriate. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. 20 In the claims which follow and in the preceding description of the terminal and method, except where the context requires otherwise due to express language or necessary implication, the word "comprise" or variations such as "comprises" or "comprising" is used in an inclusive sense, i.e. to specify the presence of the stated 25 features but not to preclude the presence or addition of further features in various embodiments of the terminal and method. 5342343_1 (GHMatters) P89873.AU.1