Global Grain Trades Bulker Safety
Steel Products
Baltic Ports & Terminals
Belt Conveyor Systems & Technology
The world’s leading and only monthly magazine for the dry bulk industry
Specialist for port applications
Bulk handling up to 38 m
Container handling and crane lifts up to 50 t
The new G series –most comfortable, easy to operate, reliable in service
Best overview from 22 m eye-level
Up to 55 % energy savings with Green Hybrid
Balancer
Duty Cycle Crane Telehandler
Material Handling Crawler CraneMobile
WESTERN STEVEDORING
Established in 1948, B. C.’s largest and most diversified full-service stevedoring and terminal operator.
A fully integrated marine logistics company with over 1,200 employees, handling multiple commodities in every port in B.C.
Operating the following terminals:
PUBLISHERS
Jason Chinnock jason@dc-int.com
Andrew Hucker-Brown andrew@dc-int.com
EDITORIAL
Louise Dodds-Ely Editor louise@dc-int.com
Jay Venter Deputy Editor editorial@dc-int.com
Samantha Smith Directories directories@dc-int.com
Bernice van Wyk Office Manager accounts@dc-int.com
SALES
Matthew Currin Senior Sales sales2@dc-int.com Executive
Zack Venter Advertisement Sales sales@dc-int.com Executive
CORRESPONDENTS
Brazil Patrick Knight
India Kunal Bose
Europe Barry Cross
UK Maria Cappuccio
UK Michael King
UK Richard Scott
ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE
Business Publishing International Corporate Park, 11 Sinembe Crescent La Lucia Ridge, South Africa, 4051
Tel: +27 31 583 4360
Fax: +27 31 566 4502
Email: info@dc-int.com
Twitter: twitter.com/drycargomag
HEAD OFFICE
Trade Publishing International Limited Clover House, 24 Drury Road, Colchester, Essex CO2 7UX, UK
Tel: +44 (0)1206 562552
Email: info@dc-int.com
Website: www.drycargomag.com
Twitter: twitter.com/drycargomag
ISSN 1466-3643
Insta: www.instagram.com/drycargointernational
Trade Publishing International Ltd does not guarantee the information contained in Dry Cargo International, nor does it accept responsibility for errors or omissions or their consequences. Opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of Trade Publishing International Ltd
© Trade Publishing Int’l Ltd 2023
Further tentative signs of extra support for commodity import demand in a number of countries have emerged in recent weeks. While more evidence is awaited to confirm the pace of this momentum, it could potentially result in world seaborne dry bulk trade strengthening modestly over the next twelve months.
Indications of inflationary pressures being contained, amid declining energy prices, reinforce perceptions that prospects for the world economy in 2023 are not quite as negative as apparent a few months ago. China’s economy is reopening after the ending of covid restrictions, although recovery progress is still hard to predict. The European Union’s downturn may be more limited than previously expected.
GRAIN & SOYA
The outlook for global grain trade in the current 2022/23 marketing year ending third quarter 2023 reveals a mixed pattern, as often prevails. Updated estimates published several weeks ago by the US Department of Agriculture showed world trade in wheat, plus corn and other coarse grains, decreasing by about 2%, reversing a similar percentage increase in the previous 2021/22 period.
Forecasts for the main importing areas are shown in table 1, combining wheat in a July/June year and coarse grains in a October/September year. The main positive influence is EU imports, which are estimated to rise
sharply by 8mt (million tonnes) or 31%, to a relatively high 34.3mt. This expected upturn reflects last summer’s poor harvest across Europe, leading to tight domestic supplies. Elsewhere around the world, import demand is likely to be either flat or lower.
Recently it has become clearer that pressure on global energy availability is easing somewhat. Yet tight supplies seem likely to remain a feature in the months ahead, and could be further squeezed if China’s anticipated rebound in economic activity prompts additional energy commodity imports. In these circumstances coal trade prospects still look solid, albeit with limited growth. After remaining almost flat last year at about 1,200mt, maintaining the recovery seen in the previous twelve months, a possibility of resumed growth in world seaborne coal trade during 2023 is visible. Last year’s relative strength was assisted by the strong performance of steam coal imports into the EU, which evidently increase by over two-fifths to exceed 80mt. This annual total may continue in the current year, while some other countries, including India, may purchase higher volumes.
Trade in the main steelmaking raw materials — iron ore and coking coal — receded last year but may avoid an extended weakening in 2023 based on
recent signs. Iron ore trade is greatly influenced by China’s imports, which decreased by 1% to 1,110 mt in 2022. Many other major buyers saw reductions. Currently some observers cautiously view prospects for iron ore import demand during the year ahead as positive. Volumes into Europe, Japan and South Korea, comprising about a fifth of the global total, could be slightly higher. Resumed vigour in China’s economy, assuming it is reflected in reviving steel demand for infrastructure, housing and manufacturing activities, may support ore usage and imports.
Seaborne trade in the diverse minor bulk commodities segment apparently experienced a setback last year, when some components such as steel products and fertilizers saw big reductions. Prospects for the next twelve months tentatively suggest that a small increase is attainable.
Growth in the world fleet of bulk carriers decelerated to under 3% in 2022, as shown in table 2, mainly as a result of lower newbuilding deliveries. Scrapping remained at a depressed level but there is potential for an upturn in the current year. If this occurs, it could be enough to slow fleet expansion by another percentage point despite newbuilding deliveries remaining similar to the volume seen last year.
Clarksons Research (historical data) & BSA 2022 estimate *forecast
Inflation spiralled on the back of fiscal stimulus and expansionary monetary policies in response to the Covid pandemic. War in Ukraine, energy shocks and supply chain disruptions exacerbated inflationary pressures. Central banks responded by raising interest rates, which began to curb rising inflation, but the rapid switch from a prolonged period of low to much higher interest rates, to fight inflation, generated vulnerabilities, seen in developments in the banking sector. Policymakers responded decisively to financial stability risks, but uncertainties remain exceptionally high. Despite the improved outlook for China, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) expect global economic growth to slow below 3% this year.
Global supplies are tight for key commodities. Global grain output is projected to rise in 2023/24 led by a recovery in corn, boosting overall supply. Food prices have retreated from record highs early last year though many vulnerable countries continuing to face food insecurity. Reduced plantings in Ukraine caused by the war, underlines the need to scale-up production of grains and oilseeds to help rebuild global stocks and moderate price levels. The International Grains Council (IGC) preliminary forecast points to a smaller outturn for wheat of 787mt in 2023/24 due to reduced output from the Black Sea region, recovery in Argentina and a significant increase in wheat plantings in the US.
The Black Sea Grain Initiative (BSGI) renewal is key for Ukraine’s grains/oilseeds to access the global market and to encourage more Ukrainian growers to plant crops, despite the ongoing war. High input costs, farm equipment losses and safety concerns signal crop plantings will be lower. The Ministry of Agriculture confirmed the spring planting season started earlier than normal, with 26,000/ha of spring wheat planted. They anticipate a smaller harvest in 2023 of 44.3mt [million tonnes] (includes 25.6mt of corn). The renewal of the BSGI for a further 120 days will be discussed in March — Russia is seeking a 60-day limit. Markets have priced in that the BSGI will be renewed though doubt remains over the extension period.
Both SovEcon and IKAR estimate the Russian wheat crop at 86mt and 84mt, respectively in 2023. IKAR revised their wheat estimate to 81mt due to drought concerns in southern parts of the country. The lower wheat output for 2023 on reduced winter plantings and soft domestic prices.
US wheat acreage to increase to 49.5m/acres with output c.51mt, driven by higher prices, low supplies and input prices easing. While many areas from North Dakota to Kansas, received varied precipitation, dry weather remains a concern in the Central Plains. Some 57% of the US winter wheat area, mostly Hard Red Winter varieties, remain in drought conditions; Soft Red Winter areas remain well watered. Canada’s wheat area, other than durum, is expected to increase 4% to 8.2m/ha with yields c.3.6 t/ha-35mt.
Wheat plantings remain broadly the similar to last year. AgriMer reported that French soft wheat crop was mostly in good, condition. Some concern that dry weather conditions could reduce production from the Iberian countries, while scarce and expensive fertilizer supplies may affect crop yield potential across the EU.
China’s wheat crop is forecast lower at 127mt. Record wheat acreage in India c.34.3m/ha — weather has been an issue before harvest-government forecast c.112mt, but private estimates are lower c.107–108mt due to the heatwave in February. Pakistan severe floods receded in time for plantings-crop output c.28mt.
A vicious drought slashed output for Argentina’s wheat and other major grains
and oilseeds. And, indirectly bolstered the case for GM wheat. Bioceres Crop Solutions is to market drought-tolerant genetically modified (GM) wheat in Argentina for the 2023 growing season; this follows the varieties, recent approval in Brazil.
Abares anticipate the Australian wheat crop to be lower c.26mt in 2023 due to drier growing conditions with the ending of the climate phenomenon La Niña. A neutral phase is expected to persist through the Northern Hemisphere in early summer. A transition to El Niño is likely to occur between July-Sept ‘23, with the prospect of El Niño increasing through the autumn.
Global wheat production increased to a record 789mt in 2022/23 with significant increases in production for Canada and the
Russian Federation, which more than offset lower output in Argentina and Ukraine. Global wheat consumption is forecast at 793mt (food 634mt, feed159mt), a small rise in food use offset by lower feed use.
Changes to Morocco’s wheat import subsidy scheme will facilitate imports from the Black Sea region. From March ‘23, importers will be able to receive a monthly subsidy if cargoes are loaded by the end of the month-previously, ships had to arrive in Morocco by the end of the month. The change will likely increase competition in the Moroccan market, typically dominated by French and other EU suppliers.
Wheat exports from Russia 43.5mt, France 37mt, Australia 30mt, Canada 25mt and US 21mt, contribute to the rise in global trade to 212mt.
With larger imports seen for the EU 9mt, China 10mt, Morocco 7.5mt, Saudi Arabia 4.5mt, Iraq 3.5mt and Pakistan 3mt. Australia’s bumper crop found openings for its feed wheat in Southeast Asia, as fertilizer shortages reduced domestic corn yields and increased local corn prices. Buyers tended to avoid Black Sea grain due to concerns with finance and delays. Feed wheat being at a significant discount to corn, prompted several Asian countries including Thailand and South Korea, to purchase more Australian feed wheat in 2023.
With consumption outstripping supply for the third consecutive year, global stocks are projected to fall to 267mt (World 127mt, China 140mt) just over three-months supply. Stocks among major wheat exporters remain similar to last year.
Prices have fallen sharply since the turn of the year for all wheat classes-Paris (Euronext) milling wheat futures was trading at a low of €261.50/t ($276.75/t10.03.23). CBOT SRW wheat Futures contract (May) closed at $6.792/bu ($249.56/t-10.03.23); HRW $7.982/t ($293.29/t-10.03.23); French wheat Fob Rouen $287/t; Russian wheat Fob Black Sea $282/t (9.03.23); US SRW Fob $300/t (10.03.23).
Tight global coarse grain supplies are forecast to ease led by a recovery in corn in 2023/24, due to increased acreage, higher yields and favourable growing conditions and an increase for sorghum; while barley acreage is to remain similar to last year.
In February, USDA provisionally forecast US farmers to plant 91m/acres of corn in 2023/24, an increase of 2.4m/acres over last year; with yields of 181.5bu/acre and output rising to 383mt (15.085bn/bu) in 2023/24; with feed/food/seed use higher 179mt, ethanol lower at 133mt based on flat fuel consumption and exports of 56mt.
The US Farm Futures Survey in March, found that farmers are opting for more drought-resistant crops this spring as depleted soil moisture levels present a substantial challenge, especially in the
Central Plains, for the upcoming growing season. Steep input costs are a key element that determine decisions on acreage. The survey pegged US corn at 87.7m/acres, loosing acres to soybeans; while for sorghum acreage was boosted to 8.5m/acres.
USDA forecast global coarse grain output to fall by 62mt to 1.44bn/t in 2022/23. Dramatic fall in demand for coarse grains, as a number of countries grapple with ongoing economic challenges, lower supplies and higher world market prices. Tight supplies and higher prices for coarse grains saw demand fall by 42mt to 1.45bn/t — feed use 892mt and food/seed/industry 558mt, with trade at 220mt. Tighter stocks of 322mt (World 114mt, China 208mt) are forecast by the end of 2022/23.
Despite a record corn crop in Brazil projected at 125mt, global corn production is forecast lower at 1.15bn/t in 2022/23, offset by a weather-reduced crop in the US 349mt, drought in Argentina c.33-36mt (USDA 40mt) and Ukraine 27mt. Rising inflation and energy costs muted demand for corn; feed use fell by over 22mt to 749mt; food/industry fell by 24mt to 429mt.
USDA pegs Ukraine’s corn exports at 23.5mt, Argentina 29mt, Brazil expected to export a record 52mt and the US 49mt. Ongoing financial challenges and higher market prices pressured trade with global corn exports expected to fall from 194mt to 180mt in 2022/23.
China’s buying spree of US corn recently hit 2.65mt in March’23 improving firm prices for old crop. China’s large domestic corn harvest is forecast at 277mt with imports expected to be lower for corn 18mt, barley 9mt and sorghum 5mt this season. Despite efforts to rebuild China’s pig herd recent reports suggest African Swine Fever (ASF), is again taking a hold especially in the northern regions of China, but also in other areas.
Over three years ago, Mexico introduced a ban on GM corn in Mexican diets and an end to the use of herbicide glyphosate, to take effect by 31 January 2024. Mexico imports large quantities of corn from the US; 90% of US corn will be GM. If the ban goes ahead in 2024 it would affect the US and other key exporters who trade with Mexico. US domestic growers and a broad coalition of national/state agriculture/ bioscience organizations, lobbied US government officials to request formal trade consultations as the first step in a process that could lead to the US bringing a formal dispute against Mexico. The parties must meet to discuss the issue within 30 days, and, if the talks are not successful, the US could turn to a separate dispute settlement procedure under the trade agreement.
Global corn stocks are forecast at 296mt (world 89mt, China 207mt) with major exporter stocks lower at 54mt.
Chicago corn futures fell on concerns over the banking sector and news that Russia proposed extending the BSGI for 60 days instead of 120 days. Falling Chicago corn prices stokes Asian demand-South Korea’s Major Feedmill Group (MFG) purchased c.135,000/t of feed corn in two consignments in an international tender (14 March 2023) — c.66,000/t bought from trading house Cargill-premium of $244.87/bu over the Chicago September 2023 corn contract — plus a $1.50/t surcharge for additional port unloadingAugust delivery. Second consignment c.69,000/t sourced from optional originsbought at outright price c.$309.85/t C&F from Al Ghurair plus a $1.50/t surcharge for port unloading-June/July delivery.
Global barley production is forecast at 152mt due to higher yields in Canada, Russia and Turkey offsetting the impact of small reduction in the EU’s production. Australia produced a near record crop of barley 14.1mt due to mostly good weather conditions and exceptional yields. A
smaller global sorghum crop at 58mt primarily due to lower area and output in the US 4.8mt.
USDA project US farmers will plant soybeans this year on 87.5m acres, similar to last year; assuming average yields, implies a production of c.125mt. USDA pegs soybean acreage at 87.77m/acres with production at c.123mt — well below market expectations for a much larger shift to soybeans.
Despite a much-reduced soybean output in Argentina, global oilseed production is projected at record-high 630mt, boosted
by a huge soybean crop and better crops for rapeseed, palm kernel and cottonseed; with smaller crops for sunflower seed, groundnuts and copra. Favourable crushing margins increased meal output for animal feed 350mt and oil-driven by renewable diesel and food rising to 213mt. Global trade forecast higher at 200mt with stocks marginally lower at 117mt.
SOY CROP
Global soybean production for 2022/23 is forecast at a bumper 375mt. The US crop was trimmed to 116mt due to dry conditions; a record crop is anticipated in Brazil c.153mt and in Paraguay 10mt. Harvest pace has been slower in Brazil this season hampered by heavy rains in key growing regions areas and slowed the
movement of soybeans to ports. The drought in Argentina, severely cut soybean output. The Rosario Board of Trade and Buenos Aires Grain Exchange cut their projections mid-March for Argentina's 2022/23 soybean crop to multi-year lows of 27mt and 29mt respectively; other analysts suggest the soybean crop could be in the low 20s, well-below USDA’s current estimate of 33mt.
Tight domestic soybean supplies in Argentina will require imports expected to rise to 7.3mt, to take advantage of falling prices in Brazil and Paraguay. Argentina’s smaller crop should also support crush margins in North America and Europe.
May — with nearby demand commitments mostly covered, there is no rush for fresh Brazilian cargoes.
While, domestic crushers in Brazil covered requirements until mid-May. Soybean prices in Brazil fell in March due to record harvest, slack demand and the prospect of a large US crop in 2023/24.
producers of pigs.
“The outbreak was pretty severe in January and February, especially in the northern producing regions, and some areas are still battling the disease”, said Pan Chenjun, a senior analyst at Rabobank. She estimates that the latest wave has affected 10% of the nationwide sow herd, which controls hog production, and will lead to higher prices in the coming months.
Rapeseed prices are easing in response to a record global crop of 86mt with output increasing in Canada 19mt, the EU 19.5mt and Australia 8.3mt. Rising global rapeseed supply is expected to weigh on prices leading to reduced plantings in Australia and lower yields in 2023/24.
The US appetite for soybeans continues to expand as more crush plants come online to process soybean oil into renewable diesel. USDA is projecting soybean crush to top 2.3bn/bu as renewable diesel production expands. Three large plants are planned for North Dakota — 42.5m/bu plant near Casselton, 53m/bu facility at Spiritwood and a 42m/bu plant north of Grand Forks.
Spot demand for soybeans in overseas markets and in Brazil’s domestic market in March has been muted. In China, soybean meal prices have fallen and crush margins turned negative-minus $9.90mt in some areas. Chinese importers are said to have secured all their soybean needs for March, 75% for April and slightly above 50% for
The exit from China’s Zero-Covid policy last year set the scene for improving economic conditions as well as the anticipated revival of the hotel, restaurant, and institutional (HRI) sector supporting rising consumption. Despite an upward revision for China’s pork production in 2023, domestic supplies are virtually unchanged year-on-year and are unlikely to fully meet rebounding consumption.
News that ASF is again spreading through the Chinese pig herd in key provinces, Shandong, Hebei, Henan, farms in north east China and Shanxi where the cull is significant. Northern provinces like Shandong and Hebei are among the top
Chinese pig prices have hovered around 15 yuan ($2.18) per kilogramme since late last year, pressured by weak demand and excess supply. Large losses encouraged many farmers to downsize herds in the winter, which pushed up slaughter volumes. “We continue to believe the low China hog price is due to many pigs going to slaughter at any weight due to ASF breaks,” according to Jim Long, chief executive of Canadian genetics company Genesus. China increased its meat imports with further large pork imports from the US through Jan/Feb ‘23 of 380,000/t — a significant increase over last year.
On 16 March, Harbor Lab announced that ZEABORN Ship Management will incorporate Harbor Lab’s e-disbursement software and agents’ directory into its systems for greater efficiencies and increased transparency across its port cost management processes.
With operations in Hamburg, Cyprus, Singapore, and Manila, ZEABORN is partnering with Harbor Lab to unify its processes, generate a higher degree of transparency and become more cost and time efficient, especially when it comes to the handling of repetitive administrative tasks that can be supported by modern technology.
With this co-operation, ZEABORN can compare quotes for husbandry services across ports globally, appoint agents, share and digitally approve documents, and most importantly, access clean and accurate data.
Matthias Bücker, Senior Vice President Commercial Management at ZEABORN, explains why the partnership is important: “ZEABORN is a signatory to the UN Global Compact and member of the Maritime Anti-Corruption Network. As such we have vouched for transparent processes and money flows. Harbor Lab provides us with a platform to achieve exactly those goals while also streamlining internal processes to become more admin efficient as well as cost efficient in our spendings together with increasing the quality of the husbandry services provided to our clients’ fleets.”
Antonis Malaxianakis, CEO and Founder of Harbor Lab, says: “We are delighted to be partnering with ZEABORN as we support its next steps to create a transparent and efficient framework in which it can administer and operate its ships. At Harbor Lab we provide our customers with information they can trust. Our services are driven by verified data and all users of the system are screened in line with our Compliance Policy. Our solution will no doubt lead to reduced operating costs and more transparent and efficient port call management for ZEABORN and we are proud they have already seen a significant return on investment.”
ZEABORN sought a solution that would not only consolidate and streamline its port-related disbursements administration, but also provide insights on market rates and fees that are difficult to get hold of through a third party.
The software streamlines the disbursement account analysis process and enhances the internal communication between ZEABORN’s four offices, reducing paperwork, saving time, and increasing transparency - all outcomes that are in line with ZEABORN’s ongoing commitment to its customers.
Harbor Lab is an Athens, Greece-based maritime software company offering the first e-disbursements accounts analysis software that automatically calculates and evaluates port expenses against real-time port tariffs, optimizing the Port Cost Management process. Founded in March
2020 by Antonis Malaxianakis, its purpose is to build trust in the maritime ecosystem. It currently has 700 vessels, whose disbursement accounting is run through the platform and more than 5,000 agents and vendors registered. Since the company’s inception, it has rolled out a number of cloud-based products that provide ship operators, managers and charterers with greater transparency and in-house control and monitoring of their vessels’ costs. Harbor Lab has 60 employees.
ZEABORN Ship Management is a pure third-party ship manager offering a comprehensive and state-of-the-art product portfolio with particular focus on performance, efficiency, digitization, and advanced customer care.
With its headquarters in Hamburg, Germany, a strong hub in Singapore and further offices throughout Asia and Europe, ZEABORN employs about 4,300 people ashore and at sea. This workforce looks after a diversified fleet focusing on containerships, bulk carriers, tankers, and multipurpose vessels of all sizes.
All employees at ZEABORN Ship Management ashore and at sea are committed to providing safe, environmentally friendly, and reliable ship management operations to the company’s clients.
ZEABORN Ship Management has joined the United Nations Global Compact, a voluntary initiative aimed at promoting sustainable and socially responsible development.
In what marks a relatively new application for Thordon Bearings’ pioneering polymer material, Wilson Ship Management AS (Wilson), a Norway-based ship manager, has replaced the greased bronze bearings on the hatch cover wheels of some of its dry cargo vessels with self-lubricating ThorPlas-Blue bearings.
Wilson, which operates Europe’s largest short sea fleet of about 130 general cargo vessels, has now converted eight vessels following the success of the first retrofit three years ago.
Tommy Holmgren, Sales Director, Duwel Group – Thordon Bearings’ authorized distributor in Norway – explained, “Wilson was not aware at first that the Wilson Wisla, which was purchased in 2019, was already operating with Thordon bearings in this application, but when they discovered it was Thordon, they ordered more for other Wilson vessels. To date, we have retrofitted ThorPlas-Blue bearings to the hatch cover wheels on a further seven vessels.”
Retrofits to Wilson Weser took place in 2020 and further installations to Wilson Borg, Wilson Leith, Wilson Tees, Wilson Alster, Wilson Goole, and Wilson Monsoon all took place in 2022 during scheduled drydockings.
“The ship manager is closely monitoring performance but so far, the feedback is very positive. We anticipate increased interest for ThorPlas-Blue in this application,” confirmed Holmgren.
ThorPlas-Blue is commonplace in ships’ deck machinery, such as fairleads, winches, and lifeboat davit bearings, but as the material can withstand much higher pressures, hatch cover bearings are deemed an important and beneficial application.
Typically, a hatch cover’s wheel spindles, cleat spindles, hinge pins, hydraulic cylinder protective sheaths, cleat wedges, drive chain sprockets, toothed rack, and cylinder spherical bearings need to be properly greased at least once a month. This time consuming and messy operation is carried out to ensure hatch covers open and close smoothly and to prevent damage to cargo during loading and unloading. ThorPlas-Blue removes the greasing requirement.
With ocean sustainability and responsible shipping now very much on the regulatory agenda, Thordon Bearings’ environmentally focused products are being specified as part of a tranche of solutions and measures to reduce the environmental impact of operations. This successful application will open significant opportunities for Thordon and its ThorPlas-Blue line of self-lubricating bearings.
ThorPlas-Blue was developed as a maintenance-free solution to replace bronze bearings and to remove the need for grease in ship deck equipment. The elastomeric polymer material is designed to withstand pressures up to 45MPa (6,527 psi), though installation experience suggests the material can withstand much higher loads.
Anthony Hamilton, Thordon Bearings’ Technical Director, said: “By replacing traditional greased bronze bearings with ThorPlasBlue, ship operators and managers benefit both environmentally and commercially. There is a zero-grease requirement and wear rates improve dramatically. The self-lubricating properties of the Thordon material mitigates against the risk of hatch cover failure due to bearing seizure, so you do see reduced repair and maintenance costs.”
SOME THINK THAT RAW MATERIALS TRANSPORT REQUIRES TRUCKING. WE THINK DIFFERENT.
In late January, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL; President & CEO: Takeshi Hashimoto; Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo) and Mitsui & Co., Ltd. (Mitsui; President & CEO: Kenichi Hori; Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo) announced that they have received Approval in Principle (AiP) from the Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (ClassNK; Chairman: Hiroaki Sakashita, Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo) for the design of a large ammonia-powered bulk carrier.
MOL and Mitsui jointly determined the size and specifications of the vessel, and both companies entrusted Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. for design of the vessel. The AiP covers a 210,000dwt Capesize bulker, a highly versatile class of ship.
The design calls for a main engine fuelled by ammonia, which emits no CO2 when burned, thereby achieving zero CO2 emissions during the voyage. The vessel will also feature two ammonia fuel tanks on deck to maximize the cruising range for various routes and to make the most effective use of cargo space.
Furthermore, ClassNK is scheduled to conduct a risk assessment (HAZID; Hazard Identification Study*) to confirm that no unacceptable risks exist at the basic design stage and to identify items to be considered in the detailed design, which will incorporate safety measures fully taking into account the toxicity of ammonia, and other factors.
Amid the trend toward decarbonization, global interest in ammonia as a next-generation clean energy source is growing, and the maritime industry is accelerating its efforts to strategically utilize it as a fuel.
As expectations for ammonia as a marine fuel increase, MOL and Mitsui will promote the expansion of net-zero emission ocean-going vessels and play a role in society’s overall efforts to achieve decarbonization.
Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd. (“K” LINE) and Electric Power Development Co., Ltd. (J-POWER) have decided to install the ‘Seawing’*, an automated kite system using wind power, on Corona Citrus, an 88,000dwt-type special coal carrier for J-POWER.
Completed on11 September 2019, Corona Citrus is equipped with a ballast water treatment system for protecting marine ecosystems. The coal carrier
VESSEL STATISTICS
LOA 229.98m
Beam 38m
Depth 19.90m
Draught 13.904m
Deadweight: 88,703dwt
Gross tonnage: 49,888t
also comes with a SOx scrubber, which eliminates sulphur oxides in exhaust gas from its engine, so as to comply with the regulations on SOx emissions that came into effect globally in January 2020.
The newly installed ‘Seawing’ is expected to reduce CO2 emissions from the ship by at least 20%. Thus, it is one of main “K” LINE’s initiatives to achieve its GHG reduction target.
SEAWING:
This system combines expertise in aviation and maritime technologies, which enable dramatic progress of
propulsion assist in shipping. The kite can be deployed and stored automatically with simple switching operations. This system collects and analyzes weather data and marine data on a real-time basis and uses the information to optimize its performance and secure maximum safety.
Since the industrial revolution, steel production has been an integral part of economic development. Today, steel and steel-related products remain key commodities for both industrialized nations and emerging markets with global production of crude steel reaching 1.88 billion tonnes in 2022.
The market is forecast to reach US$1.43 trillion worldwide by 2030 due to rising demand from infrastructure and construction projects, the automotive industry and renewable technologies such as wind turbines and solar panels.
The global steel trade is geographically diverse. Mainland China continues to come top of the table of producers, while India, Japan, South Korea, Spain, Taiwan and the United States remain major players in the production of steel and steel-related products. The Middle East is also
expected to ramp up production in the coming years.
Meeting growing demand will put even greater pressure on an already squeezed global supply chain that has experienced massive upsets in recent years due to the Covid-19 pandemic and geopolitical issues. And on top of that, climate change goals are also impacting steel demand and output.
Nevertheless, charterers are likely to take advantage of low freight rates, with the Baltic Dry Index reaching its lowest in February 2023 since mid-June 2020. But those rates will not last for long as they traditionally rise following Lunar New Year before tailing off towards year-end. As charterers looks to move their steel cargoes quickly, risks relating to stowing, loading and unloading steel cargoes also increase.
Handling steel cargoes is different from handling other dry bulk. They are heavier, more rigid and more susceptible to damage. Stowing steel cargoes therefore requires more careful planning, more specialized equipment and greater attention to detail.
According to the GAC Group, a leading shipping and logistics services provider with more than seven decades of experience handling dry cargo, the average loading and discharging rate for steel cargoes varies between 4,000–8,500 metric tonnes/day compared with 15,000–20,000 metric tonnes/day for traditional bulk cargo. This discrepancy is not only due to the precarious nature of handling steel but also the various forms in which it can be shipped.
Most processed steel is transported as
either cold-rolled or hot-rolled coils. But steel products traditionally used in construction projects such as profiles, girders, channels and sheet piling, are also often found on ocean-bound vessels. Raw steel products such as ingots, slabs, billets and rebars are another common sight in vessel holds.
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to steel loading. Different cargoes require different handling techniques and thus, specialized knowledge and equipment.
For example, steel cannot simply be loaded in a classic block stowage. Instead, the ship’s hold must be adequately prepared using dunnage to fix the cargo in place before being secured using wires, chains or steel bands.
Pyramid loading of steel coils is discouraged due to the difficulty of securing the pyramids and the increased risk of the cargo being crushed owing to weight disparities. Instead, coils should be loaded vertically in tight block stowage patterns on top of strong and secured pallets. To reduce the risk of damage during transport, wooden wedges can also be used to fill gaps between dunnage and steel and within the stowage, to reduce movement.
Weather damage is another critical issue. Steel is susceptible to weather conditions so hatches must be watertight prior to loading and have adequate ventilation in place to minimize the chance of cargo and ship sweating and rusting.
Vigilance is at the top of the agenda for loading and unloading. Dedicated port facilities for steel cargo transport have specialist stowage and securing equipment,
as well as skilled stevedores capable of monitoring cargo conditions and providing timely guidance throughout the operation.
If not available, it is crucial that care and precision is taken by all parties, including the terminal and the ship’s master, to ensure the cargo is handled safely and securely.
With such a wide range of product types and issues that can impact the quality of steel cargoes, their safe loading and unloading from vessels is a complex task requiring experience, expertise and rapid turnaround.
“Quick turnaround times for vessels is vital for port operations due to the high demand for berths,” said Frank Xia, GAC China’s Shipping Director. “Any delays, no matter how minor, can affect waiting vessels and even lead to demurrage charges for charterers.”
“Steel is a complicated cargo and the implications of damage are very high and unpredictable. The various stakeholders involved - from vessel crew and stevedores to gear suppliers and transporters - must have the expertise to ensure the cargo is handled with utmost care,” added Sankar Narayanan, Senior Manager – Shipping at GAC India.
“As a ship agent, we support stakeholders by continuously monitoring cargo operations between the port and vessel to optimize productivity and turnaround times, readjusting our resources as needed.”
While proper and effective stowage methods for steel cargoes are critical, proper preparation and operations planning are equally key.
Director.
Prior to a vessel’s arrival, a loading
master will prepare a preliminary stowage plan that includes lashing and securing methods for the vessel owner and charterer’s review. That plan will be the basis on which the decision about the best cargo stowage methods is made, taking into account factors such as the vessel’s stability and port rotations; cargo quantity, type, weight, size and stackability; and how watertight the hold is.
“Planning for effective stowage, no matter the cargo, is a meticulous process. In general, we plan to load the cargo in the bottom hold first, then on the upper deck. We also prioritize cargo that will be discharged later, as well as goods that arrive in large quantities or are more vulnerable to the impact of pressure resistance,” said Xia.
Local steel stowage requirements may be adjusted from time to time to improve operational safety. This was the case in Singapore in May 2022, when new steel stowage requirements were enforced to enhance the safety of port personnel while keeping standards of port services high.
It is therefore critical, from the planning stage, to work with a dependable ship agent with comprehensive understanding of local and international requirements related to the cargo and the vessel it is being loaded/unloaded.
“Our well-planned loading and discharging operational expertise enables us to adapt to the changing demands and requirements of the dry cargo industry,” said Narayanan. “Further, our market
research tools, including commodity-based line-ups, delay analyses, tonnage updates and industry trends, help customers stay
abreast and intelligently plan for operations.”
GAC’s operations planning efficiency was boosted by the launch in 2021 of its Pegasus portal to provide customers with real-time information about port infrastructure, services, mishaps, accidents, and delays. With access to data on 220,000 vessels and ports around the world, customers can predict port congestion, pick the best routes and make informed voyage decisions based on efficiency, time and financial considerations even before booking shipping services.
To further aid efficient operations planning, customers can also tap on GAC’s Hot Port News bulletin which monitors and provides daily updates on port conditions worldwide.
“Dedicated facilities at some of the world’s leading ports means that bigger shipments tend to see minimal delays. We are able to work with regional terminals, officials, stevedores and other stakeholders to ensure every aspect of the cargo is taken into account during the loading and unloading process,” said Lars Hardeland, GAC’s Group Operations Director –Shipping.
With port congestion and berth waiting times set to ease after two years of disruptions around the world, the pressure may be off to turnaround vessels as quickly as once anticipated.
However, a new revolution is taking place globally as operational effectiveness and stowing capacity catch up to rapidly rising demand of steel.
Concerns surrounding issues related to stowage and loading of steel cargoes remain. Despite this, expertise and trusted partnerships during loading and unloading operations can help mitigate the risk of potential cargo losses. At least, for now, terminals have the space, resources and support they need to carry out these operations effectively.
Ariana Psomas, PPG Segment Director New Build & Dry Dock, explains how PPG SIGMAGLIDE® 2390 marine coating, a breakthrough fouling release technology from PPG, will help shipowners lower power consumption and carbon emissions and meet demands for higher performance with no adverse impact on the marine environment.
The biocide-free fouling release coating is based on revolutionary PPG HYDRORESET™ technology, which modifies the coating when it is immersed in water to create a super-smooth, almost friction-free surface that marine organisms do not recognize and cannot adhere to. This enables vessels to maintain a clean hull and reduce drag, achieving power savings of up to 20%, a speed loss performance of less than 1%, and up to 35% reduction in CO2 emissions.
The reduction in CO2 emissions makes it easier for owners and operators to meet targets for reduction of greenhouse gas emissions under the International Maritime Organization’s energy efficiency (EEXI and EEDI) and carbon intensity (CII) requirements, which went into effect this year.
“When compared to conventional antifouling technologies, PPG Sigmaglide 2390 coating is a pivotal formulation that paves the way for ship owners and operators to radically improve efficiency and reduce CO2 emissions,” said Psomas. “The potential for emissions reduction means they can operate at an average one knot higher speed while remaining CII compliant.”
In service, the coating can deliver up to 150 days of idle performance and an extended lifetime of more than ten years
with minimal maintenance requirements. These benefits, combined with the power savings, provide an industry-leading return on investment (ROI) for shipowners. This unrivalled fouling control performance of PPG Sigmaglide 2390 coating is achieved with no release of biocides into the oceans. PPG Sigmaglide 2390 coating is also suitable for electrostatic application, which provides high transfer efficiency, leading to lower paint consumption.
“These performance benefits are achieved thanks to the incorporation of PPG HydroReset technology into the 100% pure silicone binder formulation,” Psomas said. “When the coating is immersed in water, the PPG HydroReset technology senses the presence of water molecules and instantly reorganizes the surface profile of the coating at a nano scale to generate a super-smooth non stick, ultra-low friction surface which delivers significant, long-lasting fouling protection.”
In co-operation with leading, third-party institutes PPG performed hull performance analyses and computational fluid dynamic predictions for different ship models comparing PPG Sigmaglide 2390 to standard antifouling technologies. The results proved its ultra-smooth watermodified surface PPG Sigmaglide 2390 delivers immediate power savings of up to 20% whilst only experiencing a 1% loss of speed, thus contributing to achieving the IMO greenhouse gas reduction targets.
In addition to a consistent long idle performance of up to 150 days, the stable, unfluctuating performance of the silicone binder system also has significant return on investment (ROI) benefits. Owners and operators can expect no surface
deterioration of the coating on the hull, nor any leaching or surface porosity and so are able to benefit from an extended lifetime of more than ten years with minimal maintenance requirements for their vessels.
“As such, a vessel coated with PPG Sigmaglide 2390 can save two complete steps of treatment at a five-year redocking and can continue for another five years with no need for full blasting or application of a full top coat,” Psomas said. “This prolonged lifetime benefit has a farreaching effect on return on investment. Vessel owners choosing PPG Sigmaglide 2390 can typically expect to save on average, 50% of their typical ten-year maintenance costs coupled with significant savings in fuel consumption, as compared with an owner selecting alternative premium hull coatings.”
This year, INTERCARGO continues to focus on safety with work being carried out to complete its influential annual Casualty Report. The findings have been promising, says Ed Wroe,Technical Manager at the Association: “The statistics of ship losses and seafarer fatalities suggest that the safety performance of the bulk carrier industry continues to head in the right direction, and we are pleased to see a clear trend of improvement.”
There is no room for complacency, however, he adds, “and there are still gaps for further enhancement on measures including cargo safety and safe navigation to avoid cargo liquefaction and ship grounding. One life lost is too many.”
Cargo shift and liquefaction remain the greatest contributors to loss of life associated with bulk carrier losses, and groundings remain the greatest causes of ship losses. Sadly 104 crew members lost their lives over the last ten years and 26 bulk carriers of over 10,000 deadweight (dwt) were reported lost.
“It can come as no surprise to the industry that five of these casualties occurred as a result of cargo liquefaction, with four vessels loaded with nickel ore and one with bauxite,” says Wroe. “Losses due to liquefaction are often rapid and deadly for those on board. Liquefaction represents less than one fifth (19.2%) of the total casualties in the past ten years but has led to the loss of 70 seafarer lives, or nearly 70% of the total loss of life.”
INTERCARGO has previously spoken about the lack of joined up thinking on this issue. “Shipowners, operators and seafarers are well aware of the devastating consequences of cargo liquefaction, but we need a consolidated effort and commitment from shippers, receivers and port state authorities at loading and discharging ports,” says Wroe. “We all know the dangers of loading these cargoes during a wet season and we must be resistant to commercial pressures. Often the cargo properties do not match those in the shipper’s information that has been provided to the vessel thus increasing the risk of cargo failure. “We need action from those our industry relies upon for its safety – the IMO, legislators, and suppliers to ensure that the minimum obligations under the IMSBC Code are properly fulfilled,” says Wroe.
A new revision of the International Maritime Solid Bulk Cargoes (IMSBC) Code will enter into force on 1 December 2023. Inclusion of the term ‘dynamic
separation’ is expected to build another defence against moisture related cargo failure mechanisms, which can cause cargo and subsequently vessel instability. Group A cargoes under the amended IMSBC Code consist of cargoes which possess a hazard due to excessive moisture that may result in liquefaction or dynamic separation if shipped at a moisture content in excess of their transportable moisture limit.
The most common reported cause of ship losses continues to be grounding, accounting for nearly half of all losses (46.2%). Unlike liquefaction, the causes vary.
A number of cases suggest problems with the equipment, such as the John 1, where the investigation found that a severe leak was caused by a failure of the suction valve in way of the lower sea chest, and consequently, flooding occurred. The Rio Gold case in 2013 showed that a decision to stop en-route to allow the engineers to repair suspected main engine problems may have triggered the sequence of actions leading to the grounding of the ship.
“We are still awaiting results of the investigation into the very recent loss of the Xing Shun No. 1 which sank in rough seas last year as a consequence of losing power,” says Wroe.
During the years 2013 to 2022, 26 bulk carriers over 10,000dwt were identified as total losses. The average age of the vessels lost was 18.3 years and in total 2.1m dwt has been lost which equates to an average 212,000dwt per year. The data does, however, show that loss prevention efforts within the industry are bearing fruit, and that over the last 29 years there has been a significant reduction in both the number of lives lost and vessels lost. Significant improvements in ship safety have led to
Wroe, Technical Manager, INTERCARGO.
incremental improvements to date where 2013–2022 saw an annual average of 2.6 ships lost and 10.4 lives lost versus an annual average of 10.5 and 52 respectively during the period 1994–2003.
Ed Wroe is clear as to the next steps: “Learning lessons from incidents and casualties and sharing of experience have proven to be effective to raise safety awareness. In addition to timely and accurate investigation reports, it is vital for all stakeholders to deepen their understanding and knowledge of existing rules, regulations and associated requirements,” he says.
“Flag state reports of casualties must question and strive to alter existing SOLAS, MARPOL, LOADLINE, IMSBC Codes and conventions if crew lives are to be saved.”
The INTERCARGO Bulk Carrier Casualty Report 2013-2022 will be published shortly, and will be available to be viewed free of charge on the INTERCARGO website.
Long-term MAN Energy Solutions licensee, Mitsui E&S Machinery, has won another contract to supply the individual MAN B&W 6G50ME-LGIM (-Liquid Gas Injection Methanol) engine for a 65,700dwt bulk carrier slated for construction at Tsuneishi Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. The vessel represents the latest methanol-fuelled engine ordered by the bulk-carrier segment in recent weeks.
Sachio Okumura, Representative Director and President & Executive Officer of Tsuneishi Shipbuilding, said: “For Tsuneishi Shipbuilding, which is striving to build methanol-fuelled ships with the aim of becoming a front-runner in nextgeneration-fuelled ships, securing a highvalue-added engine through this contract is an extremely important step. We will continue to focus on technological innovation together with engine manufacturers in order to provide our customers with zero-emission ships that are both environmentally friendly and economical.”
Ichiro Tanaka, President and Representative Director of Mitsui E&S Machinery, said: “Customers are increasingly interested in next-generation fuels, and methanol is one of the promising fuels. We have a track record of manufacturing dual-fuel engines such as LNG-fired engines, and in 2015 delivered the world's first methanol engine as the main engine for a methanol carrier. Taking advantage of this adoption for bulk carriers, we will continue to meet the various needs of our customers, provide engines that are environmentally friendly and economical, and contribute to the realization of a decarbonized society.”
Bjarne Foldager, Senior Vice President and Head of Low-Speed, MAN Energy Solutions, said: “In a market that has seen a rapidly increasing demand for decarbonized transport from its major players, the interest in methanol as a fuel has surged and — at this moment in time — represents more than 30% of all our current, open pipeline projects across a broad range of vessel segments. As such, seeing bulk carriers now also entering this fuel segment is completely in line with our expectations and these newbuildings will benefit greatly from the option to operate either on methanol or conventional fuel with equally high fuel efficiency.”
As a fuel, methanol can be carbonneutral when produced from renewable energy sources and bio-genic CO2. The production capacity of such green methanol is currently increasing significantly; it is also liquid at ambient conditions, which simplifies tank design and minimizes costs. MAN Energy Solutions reports that its methanol engine requires a fuel-supply pressure of just 13 bar and that a number of manufacturers already offer such fuel-supply systems today.
Peter Quaade, Head of Dual-Fuel Engine Group – Two-Stroke Operations –MAN Energy Solutions, said: “With more than 20 engines installed in vessels already on the water and in excess of 200,000 operational hours on methanol since the first such engine entered service in 2016, provides an already proven and mature technology. In adopting these low-emission engines, Tsuneishi Shipbuilding once again demonstrates its commitment to providing advanced solutions for the benefit of both vessel owners and the environment.”
MAN Energy Solutions developed the MELGIM dual-fuel engine for operation on methanol, as well as conventional fuel. The engine is based on the company’s proven ME-series, with its approximately 8,500 engines in service, and works according to the Diesel principle. When operating on
green methanol, the engine offers carbonneutral propulsion for large merchantmarine vessels.
MAN developed the ME-LGI engine in response to interest from the shipping world in operating on alternatives to fuel oil in order to reach decarbonization targets. Methanol carriers have already operated at sea for many years using the engine, and, as such, the ME-LGIM has a proven track record offering great reliability and high fuel-efficiency.
Marking its 100th anniversary in 2017, Tsuneishi Shipbuilding — based in Fukuyama, Hiroshima, Japan — engages in shipbuilding and repairs and is the anchor company of the Tsuneishi Group, which conducts business mainly within the shipbuilding industry and maritime transport. With manufacturing bases in Japan, the Philippines and China, the company builds bulk carriers, container carriers, tankers – among other vessels.
Mitsui E&S Machinery, part of Mitsui E&S Holdings, is a Japanese company and listed on the Nikkei 225. Established in 1917 as the Shipbuilding Division of Mitsui & Co., it is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. Among other products, its machinery section manufactures marine and stationary diesel engines and marine equipment.
Klaveness Combination Carriers (KCC) will expand its roll-out of the semiautonomous hull cleaning solution, Shipshave ITCH, with five additional robots to reduce hull fouling on its fleet.
After a successful pilot of Shipshave’s solution onboard four vessels over 2021/22, KCC has confirmed an order for purchasing a further five latest generation Shipshave ITCH models. The decision was made after analysing the fuel performance of the four vessels operating a Shipshave ITCH, which showed improvements in fuel efficiency between 2–5%.
A close collaboration with Klaveness Ship Management (KSM), the crew aboard the vessel and Shipshave’s engineers has been essential for further developing the solution to become a fleet-wide tool for KCC.
“The friction force from the vessels’ hulls is the major resistance factor from the operation of deep-sea vessels. Biofouling of the hull greatly increases this resistance, resulting in higher carbon emissions. In addition, there is also a potential biodiversity risk when transferring alien biomass from the vessels’ hulls across oceans into vulnerable regions. Shipshave ITCH helps us to maintain fouling-free vertical sides of the hulls and delivers on both challenges and we look forward to rolling out the solution to the full CLEANBU fleet,” comments KSM’s Head of Projects and Business Transformation Martin Wattum.
The crew on board Ballard lowering the semiautonomous hull cleaning solution.
“KCC was the very first pilot user of our ITCH and has played a significant role in our further developments. Simplifications and improvements are the result of top collaboration between the tripartite structure of the User, Supplier and Buyer. We believe innovation is well nurtured this way. Shipshave, and early mover KCC, has worked well together. We are very happy to supply KCC with a solution aiding in their pursuit of very ambitions sustainability goals. The savings obtained using ITCH makes an impressive ROI,” says Eirik Eide, Chief Commercial Officer at Shipshave.
CARRIERS ASA:
KCC is the world leader in combination carriers, owning and operating eight CABU and eight CLEANBU combination carriers. KCC’s combination carriers are built for transportation of both wet and dry bulk cargoes, operating in trades where the vessels efficiently combine dry and wet cargoes with minimum ballast. Through their high utilization and efficiency, the vessels emit up to 40% less CO2 per transported tonne compared to standard tanker and dry bulk vessels in current and targeted combination trading patterns.
I-Tech AB, the developers of the antifouling biotechnology for marine coatings, Selektope® and RISE (Research Institutes of Sweden) will host the International Antifouling Conference in Gothenburg for a second year following demands for its return as one of the key platforms for antifouling coating experts, academia, and end users to discuss challenges, solutions, and approaches towards marine biofouling prevention.
As the maritime industry takes steps towards significantly decarbonizing, the risk of marine biofouling accumulation on underwater surfaces is posing an increasing threat to the reduction of gaseous exhaust emissions from vessels. Marine biofouling can be extremely detrimental to ship performance since it increases hydrodynamic drag when a vessel sails through water, resulting in vessels burning more fuel to maintain a set speed or suffering speed losses if operating on fixed shaft power.
Unfortunately, rising oceanic and coastal water temperatures are providing a more favourable environment for biofouling species to flourish. As such, the risk faced by vessels from the negative effects of biofouling will only intensify in coming years. While antifouling coatings provide the best line of defence against biofouling, the technology must continue to evolve to meet the changing needs of vessels now, and in the future.
The International Antifouling Conference 2023 will be held on September 13-14 in the iconic Eriksberg shipyard area in Gothenburg, Sweden. The conference is sponsored by Stena Teknik and Lanxess. Keynote addresses will be delivered by representatives from Jotun, Stolt Tankers, Hapag Lloyd, Arxada, and the Florida Institute of Technology.
In addition to the full two-day conference program, delegates of the International Antifouling Conference 2023 will also enjoy an optional visit to the research facilities of RISE which is included in the conference ticket.
Seaber.io, the Finnish maritime technology company, has announced a cooperation with Norway-based Wilson EuroCarriers. Seaber’s innovative technology will enable the digitalization of Wilson’s fleet scheduling, helping to improve efficiency as well as reducing costs and emissions.
Seaber is uniquely positioned to digitally transform the shipping industry with an intelligent technology solution for data-led decision support. The solution optimizes fleet scheduling and maximizes TCE, improving profitability and bringing down the environmental impact of shipping. In addition to single cargo voyages, Seaber supports multi-parcel and multi-port voyages, where unnecessary ballast voyages and low utilization rates are common. The technology, based on a modern tech stack, integrates seamlessly with existing software solutions such as ERPs and Voyage management systems.
Wilson’s goal is to be a more efficient choice for cargo owners. “Our aim is to move cargo safely, on time, and maximize efficiency and sustainability of European sea transport. We were looking for software solutions that could support our mission
and believe that Seaber is the best tool to help us further digitalize our operations. It is important for us to improve collaboration and the service we provide to our customers. This is a pioneer project and we expect to set a new standard for how the entire industry manages scheduling in the future.” says Jostein Bjørgo, Commercial Director at Wilson.
The web-based application is designed for both shipowners and cargo owners, allowing them to maximize efficiencies in schedule planning and communications. With Seaber, stakeholders can collaborate in this dynamic industry in real time, with each maintaining total control of the information being shared.
Sebastian Sjöberg, CEO and Co-founder of Seaber, says: “Seaber integrates with existing technologies used by Wilson and makes the planners’ work easier and more efficient. Replacing spreadsheets means less planning mistakes with improved data ergonomics, data integration and automation. This ultimately leads to reduced costs and emissions via better utilization of the fleet.” He continues: “It’s great to see Wilson taking this step, so they are better
positioned when industry changes happen and new regulations emerge.”
With a fleet of about 130 vessels in the range of 1,500-8,500dwt, Wilson is the largest short sea shipping company in Europe. As a fully integrated shipping company, it handles everything in-house, chartering and operations, ship management, marine accounting, crewing, purchasing, legal and insurance. Head office is in Bergen, Norway with branch offices strategically located in Europe.
Seaber is a Finnish maritime software company dedicated to reducing inefficiencies, costs and the environmental impact of shipping. Seaber software helps charterers and shipowners plan, communicate, operate and optimize cargo flows and fleet schedules. This results in improved asset utilization and profitability, streamlined port calls as well as reduced fuel consumption and emissions. Seaber’s mission is to drive the digital transformation of maritime logistics and the entire shipping industry.
By the end of this year 2023, the global bulker fleet will have significant amount of vessels retrofitted with HIFOG protecting tunnel and C-loop onboard self-unloading bulk carriers. In marine applications, Marioff is widely recognized for its HI- FOG® high-pressure firefighting expertise in protecting accommodation and machinery spaces. Many decades of field experience and full-scale fire testing have resulted in a long list of patented and approved firefighting components and solutions for many other applications on board marine vessels. As high-pressure water mist is safe for humans and the environment, can be released instantly, and is known for its rapidfire knock-down properties, HI-FOG highpressure water mist is seen as the preferred firefighting technology in marine segments such as cruise ships, ferries, naval ships, superyachts, offshore, LNG and cargo vessels.
The Marioff scope includes fire detection and fixed HI-FOG fire protection of internal conveyor belt spaces (tunnels and c-loop), installation and integration with the shipboard power management system. Considering previous bulk carrier fires, including Halifax (1993), Ambassador (1994), Yeoman Bontrup (2010), Spencer Gulf (2017), Iron Chieftain (2018), Donnacona (2020), St Clair (2020) and Roger Blough (2021), Marioff is raising awareness and promoting increased safety standards and regulations for this vessel type.
Typically, one failed bearing is enough to ignite a rubber conveyor belt in the internal cargo handling space, creating risk to human health, environment, reputation and business continuity. Reported property losses in the fires mentioned above vary between $20 million and more than $150 million. (Sources: National Transportation Safety Board Marine Accident Brief, No.: DCA19FM020 and Sturgeon Bay Fire Dept., FDID 15070.)
The effectiveness of the shipboard fire response depends on early detection and instant extinguishing at the source. The current methods for detection and suppression on board most self-unloading vessels are insufficient.
Full-scale conveyor belt fire testing revealed that because of the rapid fire knock down property of the very fine water mist produced by the HI-FOG system, all temperatures registered below 100°C in under 15 minutes.
Unlike gas solutions, water mist is safe to use when personnel are within the protected space. It is the ability to instantly release the HI-FOG system, that is crucial in case of fire. There are various ways to activate the system: automatically by the detection system, remotely from HMI screens at workstations or manually at the section valves. Additional user interface screens are installed in the cargo control room and the engine control room.
Stainless steel type approved HI-FOG spray heads, tubes and section valves are strategically installed in tunnels and c-loop conveyor systems. The firefighting time is extended by using two water sources, fresh water as a primary source and sea/lake water as a secondary source. After the fire is under control or extinguished, the HIFOG system can be reset, and is again ready to protect the vessel and crew.
High-pressure water mist is deployed to all internal conveyor systems. The very small droplets yield a very large total water surface area. This provides efficient cooling of the fire and surrounding areas and gases. The efficiency of a HI-FOG system is based on three aspects: cooling the fuel source; v
displacing oxygen from the seat of the v fire, thus suffocating the flames; and blocking radiant heat to prevent the v fire from spreading.
Keeping bulkers safe: Marioff HI-FOG high-pressure water mist increases firefighting capabilities
A new emissions index has been developed by independent shipping platform SHIPNEXT, in a bid to address widely-held industry concerns about the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) emissions reduction measures.
According to Alexander Varvarenko, the Belgium-based shipping and tech entrepreneur, cargo is at the heart of the new SHIPNEXT emissions index, which has been designed for vessels carrying breakbulk, dry bulk, heavy and oversized shipments, and in consultation with ship owners.
The SHIPNEXT Voyage Emission Index (SVEI) is based on the individual technical parameters of the vessel, its speed, consumption and intake, whilst also taking into consideration the actual cargo quantity and the intended voyage.
SVEI considers the ship’s fuel consumption at sea to reflect the work of the particular vessel. Fuel consumption in the port is ignored, since such consumption is comparable for most ships and the time of loading and discharging is determined mainly by port technology, not by the technical capabilities of the vessel.
The SHIPNEXT CII (SCII) is proposed as an alternative to the IMO’s own Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII) rating, which seeks to measure the efficiency of a vessel above 5,000 GT. The IMO also intends to give vessels a performance score between A–D, with criteria becoming increasingly stringent by 2030.
Carriers including Maersk have complained that the IMO CII fails to incentivize cargo optimization, and have instead called for a methodology that rewards more productive vessels. SCII has
been designed to do just that.
“The major problem with the existing IMO guidelines is that they do not take into consideration the cargo actually being carried on a voyage,” says Alexander Varvarenko, the CEO and founder of SHIPNEXT. “When you do so, the emissions profile of a given voyage changes completely.”
SHIPNEXT modelling shows how an older, higher emitting ship, if managed properly and laden to full capacity, can prove to be the ‘greener’ solution, when compared to a more modern ship that’s producing more carbon dioxide because it
is on a longer voyage.
Adds Varvarenko: “Our approach stimulates owners to manage their vessels more efficiently with fewer ballast runs, while also continuing to follow all the other existing emissions indexes that are imposed on them around vessel construction. “There has to be logic to how shipping lines are taxed for their emissions. What we are proposing is a fair and reasonable approach during the transition to cleaner shipping, which allows both shippers and carriers to share the costs.”
SCII is now being marketed to SHIPNEXT’s more than 4,500 daily users.
Established in 2015 by Alexander Varvarenko, SHIPNEXT offers instant cargo-to-ship matching via a digital platform available on desktop and mobile devices.
Designed for shipbrokers in dry bulk, breakbulk and containerized trades, SHIPNEXT is “Uberizing” the shipping industry by using artificial intelligence for the instant processing of shipping data, emails and messages.
The platform features real-time data management, instant hire freight-matching, messaging, dynamic freight search, real-time market analytics, fleet-search, freight tendering, freight calculation, port data, contract management, CRM and other tools.
‘Bulker Safety’ is a subject that has often been debated, and deliberated at the highest levels due to the inherent safety issues present which need to be addressed in order to maintain the supply chain and globalization of trade. The inherent issues can be grouped under various headings: e.g., structural, stability, cargo operations, navigation, fire safety, and human factors.
For the purpose of this article, Shi. E.L.D. Services, in its capacity as market experts in consultancy and technical management of assets in the transshipment segment, will address the human factor role in the safety of shipping in general and bulkers in particular.
HEALTH, SAFETY, AND ENVIRONMENT (HSE)
HSE is fundamental and necessary for an organization such as Shi.E.L.D. Services to be able to perform its job accurately. The management of vessels and operations at sea cannot be conceived without starting from the safety aspects.
Following this, Shi.E.L.D. Services’ experience helps it to meet and maintain high standards, i.e. to quickly recognize potential hazards, analyse them without delay and implement all necessary measures as soon as possible. In this sense, the involvement of the Owner and the crew is essential. Shi.E.L.D. Services’ work on HSE is not limited to identifying risks and finding measures and remedies, but importantly includes the correct and effective familiarization of onboard and ground personnel.
Shi.E.L.D. Services strongly believes in safety education as the most effective tool that every seafarer should be able to apply independently.
A risk assessment is mandatory to sustain high safety quality, moreover, with the added pressure of production goals and deadlines.
The common reasons behind an unsafe situation on board are:
1. Unsafe actions
2. Unsafe conditions
3. Personal factors
4. Non-personal factors
Shi.E.L.D. Services ensures such factors are noticed, counselled, and resolved for the betterment not only of the seafarers themselves but also for the performance and pace of operations onboard. By advertently conducting regular training and following strict protocols before letting the crew sign on, we have observed a potential calibre among the team. Apart from all the familiarization and protocols, the ambiance onboard should be outstretched such that the crew shall carry out their duties with high concentration and in favour of a successful safety culture.
But the analysis of incident reports and investigations shows that a common cause leading to unsafe conditions is the execution of routine activities. Routine activities, which seafarers repeatedly perform throughout the day, tend to reduce the seafarer's risk awareness, often with severe consequences.
Statistics have proven that majority of incidents on board occur during routine activities rather than non-routine or critical activities. Complacency is a major contributor. How many times have we heard the statement, “I have been doing this for years and I don’t need to be told how to do it”? This is the start point of a potentially hazardous situation developing. Let us suggest some quick remedies: Break the routine: Involve crew in rotation of activities suited to their competencies. It should be a random process as even rotation if not carefully
monitored, can lead to routine.
Job safety analysis (JSA) for all tasks carried out on board. This will allow the seafarer to evaluate all factors contributing to the activity before it occurs. These ensure that the seafarer evaluates each task in detail from a risk and safety perspective and puts in place corresponding mitigation plans. Group safety meetings during which routine activities are discussed and analysed between teams belonging to the same departments and cross-departmental teams. These sessions are organized at irregular but sufficiently frequent intervals to get a different and sometimes more effective perspective.
Buddy principle ensures that no single person performs any activity. In this way, the risk perception and assessment, which is subjective, is shared, and this method helps the personnel to make a correct risk evaluation and immediately put in place the necessary measures to mitigate the risks. Stop work authority gives the power to each and every seafarer to stop work if he/she perceives any unsafe condition and/or behaviour. Supervisor attention is called for and work is not resumed till the unsafe condition is eliminated or mitigated to an acceptable level. This will provide a sense of purpose to each seafarer and allow them to shoulder responsibility. It is widely used in the offshore industry where stringent safety regulations are in place.
We must not overlook the impact of modern technology in our day-to-day operations. The world is changing at a rapid pace and we, the seafaring fraternity, need to adapt to these changes. Let us use the modern technology as a tool to enhance the operational effectiveness and
make the systems more robust. As a consultant, operator, and thought leader, Shi.E.L.D. Services uses a variety of modern technology which has significantly improved safety by providing advanced tools and systems that help ships operate safely, avoid accidents, and respond quickly to emergencies.
As a Technical Manager, along with the owners, Shi.E.L.D. Services supports and guides the crew in their daily activities from a safety perspective. The favourable position of the Manager, who manages several assets in different geographical locations along with a multi-cultural crew, allows for a comprehensive analysis of onboard dynamics so that all adequate measures can be promptly put in place to
achieve the highest safety standards and achieve a singular goal — to ensure all seafarers return home at the end of their term of duty.
Over the years, Shi. E.L.D. Services have acquired a pole position in managing operations with the highest standards of safety and quality. With innovations booming in the market, the demand for excellent solutions is on the table. Reiterating the appropriate practices has delivered successful transshipment rates of various cargoes with no compromise on remote locations, weather conditions, multinational crews, and challenging projects .
Born as spin-off of Coeclerici Logistics, Shi.E.L.D. Services is an expert in the
offshore logistics sector for dry bulk materials and in the technical management of vessels and crew management. The company’s headquarters is in Milan with representative offices in Indonesia, Dubai and New Zealand.
Shi.E.L.D. Services provides a complete range of services for the logistics and transshipment sectors including feasibility studies, definition and development of optimal logistics solutions, vessel design, supervision of new-building construction and vessel conversion, technical, crew and operational management. Over the years Shi.E.L.D. Services has consolidated its position in West Africa, Asia Pacific and Middle East regions.
Shi.E.L.D. Services is the consecutive winner in the ‘Bulk Logistics Excellence’ category at the IBJ awards 2019 and 2022.
In recent years, shipping has rapidly developed and evolved to meet new realities, from working with low flash point fuels for net zero requirements to operating in polar regions, prompting changes to regulations in the IMO International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW). STCW was designed to regulate the training and certification of seafarers and forms the basis for standards of crew competence that are enforced worldwide. A related challenge now faces shipping companies regarding crewing their ships with appropriately trained personnel.
To support the industry with adapting to these changes in regulations, the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) has published a fourth edition of its Guidelines on the IMO STCW Convention to help shipping companies stay completely up to date on the latest regulations and guidance required to comply with STCW, including industry best practice and the training requirements of the associated codes, such as the International Code of Safety for Ships using Gases or other Lowflashpoint Fuels (IGF Code) and the International Code for Ships Operating in Polar Waters (Polar Code).
This fourth edition covers the developments to the Convention and Code since the 2010 Manila Amendments, but most importantly, recognizes that the working environment to which it applies has evolved.
Chris Oliver, ICS Principal Director –Marine says: “Changes in technology,
onboard processes, and a greater understanding of the importance of crew welfare provide a new environment against which STCW must operate. This new publication, our first STCW update in ten years, recognizes those factors and presents the information as it applies to modern working, including supporting a better understanding of work/rest hour compliance with both STCW and MLC.”
ICS’s Guidelines on the IMO STCW Convention, Fourth Edition uses modern infographics, decision-flow diagrams, and colour-coded visual aids to help shipping companies identify the differences between the mandatory and guidance parts of the Code. This updated edition will help them understand exactly what seafarer training is needed to ensure compliance on board, as well as know what is considered industry best practice. It covers certification, watchkeeping and record keeping, competence-based approaches to training for particular ship types, and the role of shipping companies and the government in implementation and enforcement of STCW.
Targeted at those involved with the employment and training of seafarers, including masters, superintendents and crewing agencies, the fourth edition is intended as a stepping stone to subsequent editions, beginning in 2026 when the International Maritime Organization (IMO) prepares to adopt a new STCW Convention, which would go into effect in 2028.
Guidelines on the IMO STCW Convention covers an overview of the
STCW Convention as well as the new regulatory changes that affect training, including:
International Code of Safety for Ships v using Gases or other Low-flashpoint Fuels (IGF Code).
International Code for Ships v Operating in Polar Waters (Polar Code).
New requirements for familiarization v training for crew on Ro-Ro Passenger Ships.
Changes to Chapter V regarding v tanker training.
Updated guidance for crews operating v dynamically positioned (DP) vessels.
Peel Ports Group, one of the UK’s largest port operators, announced recently that it has completed the acquisition of HES Humber Bulk Terminal for an undisclosed sum.
The UK ports group has acquired the business from specialist bulk terminals operator, HES International (which is headquartered in Rotterdam), to expand its presence to the UK’s East Coast.
The acquisition means Peel Ports now operates across eight key locations in the UK and Ireland, with the ports of Liverpool, Heysham, Manchester Ship Canal, London Medway, Clydeport, Great Yarmouth and a container terminal in Dublin already within its portfolio.
The new bulk terminal, situated on the South Bank of the Humber Estuary, will be operated by Peel Ports Logistics, a division of Peel Ports Group that specializes in ‘One-Stop-Shop’ logistics solutions.
The acquisition marks Peel Ports Logistics’ third UK presence and its first on the East Coast. Its other operations are located in the North West, at Runcorn and Ellesmere Port respectively. The division is led by Managing Director, Sebastian Gardiner.
The terminal has an open storage capacity of 6,200m2 and a covered storage facility of 275,000m3. With an automated conveyor-fed import and export system, the terminal delivers safe and efficient handling and storage of a variety of dry bulk products.
Bulk customers in key industries including agriculture, construction and energy, will be able to benefit from the expertise, experience and streamlined operations with the expansion of Peel Ports Logistics’ ‘One-Stop-Shop’ solutions to the region.
The HES Humber Bulk Terminal currently employs 29 people, all of whom will be retained as part of the acquisition.
Claudio Veritiero, CEO of Peel Ports Group, said: “The acquisition of HES Humber Bulk Terminal is an important investment for Peel Ports Group, expanding our presence into the East of England and bringing Peel Ports Logistics’ ‘One-Stop-Shop’ service to the East Coast.
“The modern facilities at HES Humber Bulk Terminal guarantee fast and efficient loading and unloading of vessels and trucks, while the excellent water and road connections enable quick and smooth
operations. This, combined with transshipment and extensive storage capabilities, will make the site a key addition to Peel Ports Logistics, helping us to deliver efficient and cost-effective port services for our customers.”
Cees van Gent, CEO of HES International, said: “We would sincerely like to thank all HES Humber Bulk Terminal employees for their ongoing commitment and valuable contribution to the company. Peel Ports has a long and outstanding history in the safe handling of cargo from across the globe and plays an integral role in customer supply chains.
“They are a reputable market player in the UK and we are confident that they will support HES Humber Bulk Terminal to build on its successful history. Proceeds from the sale will be reinvested in energy transition related projects that are pivotal for the long-term, sustainable growth and transformation of HES.”
Traffic results for January 2023 were much better than expected for the Novorossiysk-based KSK Grain Terminal, which forms part of DeloPorts, the stevedoring arm of Russia’s Delo Group. It reports handling 725,000 tonnes of grain, virtually double that of the corresponding month in 2022, and 3.6% up on the previous monthly record, which was set in November 2022.
This reflects something of a recent upward trend, with grain traffic in 2022 up 24.2% on 2021, amounting to 5.97 million
tonnes. According to the terminal, this is a reflection of previously implemented investment projects, capacity expansion and the use of modern technology.
The Group’s NUTEP Container Terminal also broke volume records in January.
According to Igor Yakovenko, CEO of DeloPorts, “We set new records at both terminals in Novorossiysk thanks to our coordinated and smooth operation, clear organization and competent work planning. Understanding the growing needs
of the market and the difficult situation related to the restructuring of logistics, we are focusing our efforts on further development of infrastructure and increasing the efficiency of operations.”
In 2015 – 2021, the Group invested $335 million for the reconstruction of NUTEP and KSK terminals. No state funding at all was sought. Now, DeloPorts plans to increase the capacity of both KSK and NUTEP through the implementation of various projects. Barry Cross
In 2022, European coal importers dramatically switched sources, abandoning suppliers in Russia for those in other parts of the world. One of the main beneficiaries was South Africa’s Richards Bay Coal Terminal, which boosted exports to meet increasing demand from the continent.
However, not everything went according to plan as Richard’s Bay had to deal with a series of security issues, strikes aimed at increasing wages and even equipment shortages at stateowned rail operator Transnet SOC Ltd. Inbound coal deliveries to the port from the mines had to be cut, which resulted in a 14% drop in overall exports to 50.4mt (million tonnes). This was the lowest export volume over the past 30 years.
Despite this, the port terminal dispatched more than 14mt to Europe last year, equivalent to 28% of total shipments. This compares to a market share of only 4% in 2021.
However, the situation could have
been even rosier had it not be for the aforementioned impediments. A major train derailment effectively slowed deliveries at one point in the year, with a noticeable outbreak in violence delaying recovery operations. Overall, the port was without export deliveries over a 22day period because of the line blockage allied with industrial action by workers.
Nevertheless, CEO Alan Waller expects the port to reach a target of 60mt during the current year.
In the open market, the price of coal soared to new records, making it now profitable for exports in South Africa to be trucked to alternative port outlets whenever Richard’s Bay is shut down.
La Coruña Port Authority in Spain has identified a need to quickly reinforce the capacity of its outer harbour to allow it to adequately handle dry bulk commodities such as coal, coke, fertilizer and rock phosphate given the fallout of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Above all, it is aiming to urgently increase storage areas for these goods.
A tender has therefore been issued to outfit a stockpile area on the esplanade at
Punta Langosteira, which is where dry bulk is handled on quay A1. Previously, the port authority had paved quite a lot of this zone, but now says this was insufficient for forecast volumes in the foreseeable future and therefore proposes to expand this to the northern end of the quay.
In total, an area of 32,429m² located at the back of the Langosteira A1 quay, between bays 5 and 14, will be upgraded, in what will be a provisional solution. New
paving will make it possible for the quay to absorb the settlements that the deposit of materials will exert on the surface, which has not withstood any preloading since it was built.
As for the first 145.8 metres of the quay, which is made up of artificial gravel up to a width of 32.8 metres, this is not included in the project. Work, which will be completed within 45 days, is expected to cost in the region of €1.118 million. BC
Bristol Port’s role as a key hub for Hinkley Point C continues to be vital – as an influx of aggregate destined for the nuclear power station came into Avonmouth Docks over the summer.
A vast 150,000 tonnes of aggregate, used to protect the intake and outfall heads on the seabed of the Severn Estuary,
came into the port on vessels from Glensanda in Scotland. The aggregate was then transferred on to barges and taken to Hinkley Point C, which meant that around 5,172 lorries were kept off the roads. The seamless movement of the aggregate was carried out by the Port’s Operations team, who worked tirelessly day and night to
complete the operation. Nick Day, Avonmouth Operational Manager said “The operation went extremely smoothly thanks to good pre-planning and highly trained and skilled staff carrying out the operation.” The operation was completed on schedule, despite some weather setbacks threatening to get in the way.
China’s Guangzhou Port, which opened in March 2019, recently established a new record in terms of vessel size. The Manny, which is a 100,000-tonne bulk grain vessel, made use of Maoming GZP Terminal’s berth 2, being the largest vessel of this type to be accommodated there so far.
The 92,500dwt Manny is 229.5 metres long and 36.92 metres wide. While in port, it unloaded 26,000 tonnes of import corn. Maoming GZP Terminal is rapidly carving a strong niche in this business sector. In January 2023, for example, imported grain grew by 91.2%.
The terminal is continuing to boost volumes of grain and other raw materials, prompting Daodaoquan Grain and Oil and Zhejiang Hongshi Cement to establish facilities close to the port.
Maoming GZP Terminal is now implementing a phase 2 expansion to increase capacity further. BC
The year 2022 was the Spanish Port of (L)A Coruña’s third most successful in terms of traffic volume, which grew by more than 25%. Dry bulk, in particular, performed well, rising by 83% on the year. Overall, the port handled 14.9mt (million tonnes) compared to 11.8mt in 2021, making it Spain’s leading port for growth in 2022. Of this, dry bulk accounted for 5.4mt; in 2021, the same sector accounted for just 2.9mt.
To explain the remarkable growth, it’s important to realize how much traffic the port’s outer harbour extension has contributed to the total. The various terminals in this so-called Punta Langosteira area added 4.2mt to the overall figure for (L)A Coruña. Not only is this now the main logistics node for agribulk in northwest of Spain but is also an emerging transshipment hub for coke, fertilizer and coal.
In respect of agribulk, the port has also established a dominant position in the regional market on the Iberian Peninsula, supplying a large number of local animal feed producers. In total, in 2022, 1.6mt of cereals passed through Punta Langosteira, which benefits from a very deep draught, allowing it to accommodate virtually any size of bulk carrier.
The main infrastructure in the outer harbour entered into service in 2012, thanks to public investment of €145 million. However, around €14 million a year is now being spent annually to bring the southern part of Punta Langosteira into operation. Here, it is hoped to attract new industries linked to hydrogen, ammonia and green methanol, as well as offshore wind power. For this, the port authority has allocated a further €13.6 million in the budget for the current year.
In 2022, annual throughput capacity at ports in Russia rose by 36.6mt (million tonnes). This was due to a number of projects at various ports, including Port Vera, which is the brand new coal terminal at the Port of Vladivostok, and a 25mt increase in capacity at OTECO dry bulk terminal in the Port of Taman.
However, even more capacity hikes are in the pipeline, and are already being implemented in Eurochem, a new mineral fertilizer terminal at the Baltic Port of Ust-Luga. The same port is also constructing the Ultramar Terminal, which will be able to handle 15mt of mineral fertilizer per annum and have a total storage capacity of about 700,000 tonnes, spread across 20 dome storage warehouses. Both projects are due to open in 2024.
Also of note is that the Baltic Bulk Terminal at the Port of Saint-Petersburg is also breaking into the same market segment, creating infrastructure that will boost capacity by 4.5mt per year. This will open in two years’ time. The great northern Port of Murmansk is also reconstructing infrastructure at Murmansk Bulk Terminal to increase mineral fertilizer capacity by 1.5mt by 2025.
The Commercial Port of Novorossiysk, in partnership with Metalloinvest, is designing a new terminal for metal products on the premises of Novorossiysk Ship Repair Yard. This should increase capacity by 12mt per year by 2025.
Finally, at the port of Temryuk, Temryukmortrans has put into operation Phase 1 of its mineral fertilizer complex, which will be able to handle 4.6mt per year, resulting in a 3mt hike in traffic by 2030.
In the bustling city of Abu Dhabi, stands the first-ever grain bunker storage in the region.
This project was initiated to store 10,000 metric tonnes of wheat inside the bunker, and IMGS Group was proud to be a part of this groundbreaking endeavour.
IMGS Group, a company specializing in logistics and cargo handling operations, was tasked with building and erecting the bunker as well as filling it with wheat, and maintaining the commodity to its optimal condition as per the Abu Dhabi Agriculture & Food Safety regulations. The team used a 40-metre conveyor system to discharge the
wheat from trucks into the bunker efficiently and safely.
One of the main challenges faced during this project was the race against time. The tight deadline to build the bunker, fill it, and cover it with a high-grade tarp before the rain was a cause for concern for the team. And yes — rain does fall in this region!
The enormous amount of dust generated during the loading and unloading of the wheat also posed a challenge that needed to be overcome.
Despite these challenges, the IMGS team remained focused and committed to completing the project on time without
compromising the quality of the wheat and the safety of its team.
The completion of this project marked a significant milestone for IMGS Group and Abu Dhabi as this is the first-grain bunker storage project in the region. This groundbreaking endeavour demonstrated the commitment of IMGS Group to delivering innovative solutions for its clients highlighting its expertise and ability to overcome challenges in a dynamic and everchanging industry.
The success of this project has set the bar high for future projects in Abu Dhabi and beyond.
Grain handling at the Port of Immingham is increasing thanks to the new opportunities presented by investment from owner Associated British Ports (ABP).
Two metal plate bunds which can be set up on any quay on any surface, have been installed. They can also be sanitized between vessel discharges meaning grain for human consumption can be handled. Operations are using the new Liebherr 420 mobile harbour cranes, which means faster and more time efficient handling.
Simon Bird, Regional Director of the Humber ports said: “This is a cost-effective method of ensuring we can load on to any quay in inner dock. It’s a developed and proven capability for operations to receive and load human consumption grains, which is part of our key competitiveness.”
ABP is keen to support our customers and we’re delighted that one of the first to use the new grain handling facility is Viterra, one of the UK’s leading grain marketers. The Humber is a key player in the market and our continued investment into infrastructure and equipment maintains our agility and resilience.”
Globally, Viterra is a world-leading agriculture network, active in 37 countries worldwide, marketing more than 100 million metric tonnes of agricultural commodities per year. The company renewed its relationship with ABP Humber in April 2022 with the opening of a new 35,000 metric tonne storage facility located on the ABP Humber International Terminal. This is complemented by additional storage within ABP’s Bulk Park facility located within the Port of Immingham.
Speaking of the investment, Viterra UK Managing Director James Maw said: “These combined investments provide the necessary storage for Viterra’s expanding import & export business, serving farmers and processors throughout Central and Eastern England,”
“The Panamax berth capability, combined with the excellent road network around Immingham will further add to the range and quality of services that Viterra provides to its customers.”
The Port of Immingham is suitably located in north Lincolnshire and is the largest port in the UK by volume of tonnage. It plays an important role in supporting UK supply chains for both imports and exports across Europe and beyond.
The inner dock can take cargo vessels between 4,000 and 27,500 tonnes. With an experienced ops team, strict adherence to
Trade Assurance Scheme for Combinable Crops (TASCC) accreditation is another reason why customers choose us.
Already loaded to vessel and planned to load before the end of March 2023 is 75,000 tonnes handled by the new grain loading system.
The UK has a large domestic surplus of grain and to make way for the 2023 harvest, stores will need clearing to make way for the new crop, which is seeing a bumper market in agribulks. The Port of Immingham’s grain handling facility is open to deep water vessels and can operate around the clock. There is a weighbridge close to the berths, and access points for sampling the cargo adjacent to the quays.
ABP Humber Ports complex form the UK’s busiest trading gateway. The four ports of Immingham, Grimsby, Goole, and Hull handle more than 58mt (million tonnes) of cargo between them each year worth approximately £75 billion. Across the Humber, the ports support 34,900 jobs and contribute £2.5 billion to the UK economy.
ABP Humber’s major investment programme ensures the ports offer state-of the-art cargo handling infrastructure and equipment, alongside a highly skilled team who can handle a vast array of cargo safely, efficiently and sustainably.
The port works collaboratively to build long-term partnerships and deliver the right supply chain solutions for customers, including value-added services and new facilities tailored to suit their business needs.
Port Operations are complemented by the Pilotage Service and Vessel Traffic Service which ensure vessels are safely navigated through the Humber Estuary.
ABP Humber offers 364 hectares of development land across its port locations
The Port of Immingham has increased its grain handling operations.
capable of attracting investment and delivering transformational benefits for the economy both locally and nationally.
The ports are all part of the new Humber Freeport, which offers three tax sites with an exceptionally business-friendly tax and regulatory environment for potential manufacturing investors.
ABP Humber supports its local communities. The ABP Humber Coastal Half Marathon and 5k is now in its sixth year and complements ABP’s race sponsorship across the country.
ABP, the UK’s leading ports group is Keeping Britain Trading with 21 ports and other transport related businesses, creating a unique national network capable of handling a vast array of cargo. It is driving growth, contributing £7.5 billion to the UK economy every year and supporting over 119,000 jobs. Its current investment programme promises to further increase its contribution to regional economies around the UK. ABP is also an essential partner for the offshore wind industry, providing operations and maintenance (O&M) for over 50% of the sector’s activity, as well as investing in infrastructure to realize future renewable energy generation.
ABP IN NUMBERS:
90mt of cargo handled each year; v
5,000 hectares of port estate owned; v 1,000 hectares of open storage; v 1.4 million square metres of covered v storage;
87km of quay; v
>1.5 million vehicles every year; v
¼ of the UK’s rail freight generated; v and >£55 million investment made in low v emission and renewable energy generation technologies.
Western Stevedoring is a wholly owned subsidiary of Seattle, Washington based Carrix/SSA Marine, the largest privately held terminals operating company in the western hemisphere.
The company’s skilled ILWU work force, dedicated foremen, superintendents, and knowledgeable support personnel draw from decades of experience to handle all forms of cargo.
Its highly experienced operations teams, supported by the front office have allowed it to earn a strong reputation for
providing world-class stevedoring services throughout BC.
LYNNTERM
Three berths for vessels 200mL; v 80+ acres, 650,000ft2 warehouse; v Direct connection to highway # 1; v Rail service. v
BARGE LOADING
Vancouver Inner Harbour; v At Lynnterm or Squamish. v
SQUAMISH TERMINALS
32 nautical miles north of Vancouver, v Lynnterm; Two berths; v
Three warehouses; v 9 acres lay down. v
VANCOUVER ISLAND
Victoria Cruise Ship Terminal; v BC Vehicle Processing Centre, v Nanaimo Assembly Wharf Terminal:
- 17 acres vehicle storage (plus available expansion.);
- 5,500m2 heated inspection facility;
- 33 nautical miles to Vancouver with multiple short sea transport options.
NORTHERN B.C.
Prince Rupert; v Stewart B.C. v
STEEL PRODUCTS – ALL B.C. PORTS
2022 was a record year, where Western Stevedoring handled over 1.7 million tonnes of steel products all integral to the infrastructure and growth of the Western provinces.
PROJECT CARGOES (HEAVY EQUIPMENT AND ITEMS OF EXTRAORDINARY SIZE)
Grain loaders and conveyors; v Transformers for hydro electric v projects;
Penstock for Run of the River v projects;
Pipe racks and modules for oil and v gas;
50mL, 100Mt and up unit weight steel v
piles,Westridge, Pattullo Bridge, other; Mining Equipment – conveyors, rock v crushers, rolling stock (trucks, loaders, etc.);
Yachts, tugs, pleasure craft. v
FORESTRY
Logs; v Lumber; v Plywood and OSB; v Bleached Kraft Pulp (BKP); v Chem-Thermomechanical Pulp (CTMP). v
The logging business has been an essential fabric of the West Coast for over 100 years. Western Stevedoring over the years has become the expert turned to by forestry companies and ocean carriers alike. Over the last decade Western has handled more than 36m3 million of logs.
GRAIN PRODUCTS
Ship stevedoring services provided to v G3 Terminal Vancouver and Richardson International.
BULK TRANSFERS
Vessel to vessel, vessel to barge, using ships gear or water cranes. Road and chemical salt v
- Road — vital to the keeping the highways clear.
- Chemical salt used to produce products important to the pulp & paper, agriculture, and water treatment industries. Slag; v Important component to the v production of cement products; Metallurgical coal; v Coal; v Gypsum cement. v
PRINCE RUPERT AND STEWART B.C. OIL AND GAS
100,000 metric tonne coated OD v pipe for the B.C. Coastal Gas Link pipeline project to Kitimat LNGC; Bundled casings for Alberta oil patch v drilling; Modules for energy plant expansions, v northern Alberta.
PRINCE RUPERT ANCHORAGE
30mL ++ Steel piles for RTA v expansion; Modules for Suncor expansion. v
STEWART B.C. (OPERATED PRIVATELY BY SWP, SHIP STEVEDORING PROVIDED BY WESTERN STEVEDORING.)
Project cargo and steel. v
WIND ENERGY COMPONENTS
Blades; v Towers; v Nacelles; v Rotor Hubs; v Generators. v
Like the other Baltic seaports in the Baltics, Klaip ė da Seaport, one of the engines of the Lithuanian economy, has recently been dealt several blows, rolling one on another: sanctions on Belarus and the subsequent termination of transportation of Belarusian fertilizers through the Klaipeda port, the Covid-19 pandemic and then the war.
“The Port of Klaipėda concluded the year 2022 with a cargo volume of 36.1mt (million tonnes) and maintained the fourth position among the Eastern Baltic ports.” says Algis Latakas, director general of Klaipėda State Seaport Authority.”
“Although the cargo has decreased by 21%, compared to 45.6mt in 2021, the result is better than initially forecasted. The decrease is caused by the loss of nearly all transit cargo due to sanctions on Belarus and the war in Ukraine.”
The decrease in transit cargo, which mainly consisted of Belarussian bulk fertilizer, was partially compensated by a record number of container TEUs, and an increase in LNG and other petroleum product cargo volumes. According to Latakas, “The Port of Klaip ė da has maintained its position on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea and is now leading in terms of containerized cargo handling.”
In 2022, the Port of Klaipėda was included in additional ocean maritime routes, which contributed to the growth of container handling volumes, especially transshipment. At the end of the last year,
a threshold of one million TEUs was exceeded. When compared with other ports on the east coast of the Baltic Sea, the container handling at the Port of Klaipeda has increased the most, recording an annual growth rate of 57% (by number of TEU).
“Our strength lies in the diversification of cargoes, i.e., the port has highly specialized terminals for stevedoring of various cargo from six main commodity groups — container, ro-ro, fertilizer, grain, oil, and LNG.” explains Latakas. “This allows us to maintain good results and overtake the competitors, who are loading just cargoes of one or few types.”
The Port of Klaipėda has 33 specialized terminals, 14 of which are dedicated to bulk cargo handling.
Another important factor is long-term and continuous investments into the port’s infrastructure and technological development of terminals. Klaipeda has been working on this consistently. Since 2007, approximately half a billion euros have been invested into the port’s infrastructure. In the next four years, it is planned to invest about €350 million. More than half of these funds will be allocated to the port expansion projects, shipping channel deepening, and reconstruction of wave breakers. The latter will improve the security of maritime transport and contribute to the implementation of environmental measures. The implementation of the projects will grant a qualitative advantage to the port.
Last year was marked by the Russian military aggression against Ukraine and its consequences to the geopolitical landscape as well as the world economy. Eastern European countries were among the most affected due to their proximity to the aggressor state. Lithuania was not an exception; not only that, it was also impacted by the sanctions on Belarus in response to its involvement in the Russian aggression as well as over enduring repressions in the country.
Trade activity and logistics patterns changed significantly because of European and international sanctions on Russia and Belarus. “Being part of a well-integrated logistics system, Klaipėda port had to adjust to the changed circumstances when nearly all of transit cargoes, mostly from Belarus and Russia, were banned from transportation,” says Vaidotas Šileika, president of the Association of Lithuanian Stevedoring Companies.
The biggest blow to port throughput came from sanctions on fertilizer and oil products, followed by iron ore and steel products. In previous years, annual turnover of these cargoes amounted to some 15mt (million tonnes). After a gradual decrease during 2021, this traffic stopped completely in 2022. In addition, ro-ro traffic decreased due to sanctioned goods and companies.
However, heavy losses in bulk transit goods were partly compensated by growth in container handling and imports of LNG. Container turnover was up by 57% in TEU (31% in tonnage), mostly due to transshipment activities at Klaip ė dos Smeltė terminal, and surpassed one million TEU for the first time ever. With two direct calls by MSC on its SCANBALTIC TO USEC and NWC TO IPAK services, Klaipėda proved itself as a Baltic hub for container shipping. Most of the other carriers’ traffic was handled by Klaipėda Container Terminal, which maintained its turnover close to that of 2021.
Demand for LNG increased significantly as countries in the region started to look for alternatives to natural gas imports from Russia following its aggression on Ukraine. The LNG terminal of Klaipėdos Nafta operated at virtually maximum capacity from April 2022, and LNG imports almost doubled to more than 2mt.
Other imports grew as well, as companies in Lithuania and elsewhere started to look for alternative sources of materials for their production to replace sanctioned goods. For example,
Stevedoring Company BEGA became a hub for fertilizer import and distribution, while Klaipėda Stevedoring Company KLASCO handled imports of steel products. Both companies provided their services for Ukrainian cargoes, and so did Klaipėdos Nafta, creating a supply chain which bypasses Belarus and uses Poland instead.
Changing patterns of trade and logistics were reflected in cargoes unloaded growing by 1.9mt, and this at least partially compensated for the 11.4mt decrease in cargoes loaded. All in all, Klaipėda port turnover amounted to 36.1mt, down 21% from 2021, avoiding the worst forecasts of 30–40%. Stable turnover of Lithuanian agribulk and general cargoes contributed to better-than-expected results.
In addition to cargo losses, port terminal operators suffered from a spike in energy prices: monthly bills for electricity quadrupled in some cases, compared year on year. However, the situation normalized at the year end, partially due to increasing generation from wind parks, but mostly thanks to the decrease in gas prices.
Although 2022 was a challenging year, port terminal operators followed their investment plans. Most investments were channelled towards improving the
suprastructure of the terminals, expanding and reconstructing cargo storage facilities, acquiring new and environmentally friendly cargo handling equipment, digitizing processes, improving conditions for employees and developing their competences.
Malku Ilankos Terminalas (MIT) acquired a Mantsinen 300 electric hydraulic crawler crane, while Western Stevedoring invested in an electric hydraulic portal crane E-Crane 2000. Both machines are said to be the biggest of their kind in the Baltics. The latest acquisition by Klaip ė dos konteinerių terminalas, a Liebherr 550 hybrid diesel electric mobile crane, was the first in the Baltics as well.
A vision of a modern and sustainable port, providing the highest quality services, is being successfully implemented through a public-private partnership of private port operators and the Klaipėda State Seaport Authority (KSSA).
Proper infrastructure — sufficient port depth, modern quay walls, a convenient port railway network — are a prerequisite for making this vision a reality. The latest €65 million loan from EIB supports KSSA in their endeavours and proves the credibility of Klaipėda port.
Once again Port of Grenaa in Denmark is making a positive impact. The port has been awarded the blue stamp in three important ISO standards and is thus in a prime position to continue the positive development that has been taking place at the port since 2015. Now the port has official proof on paper that its environmental impact and working environment is of the utmost quality. This is good for customers, the environment and, not least, for employees.
It was a satisfied QHSE manager at Port of Grenaa who achieved all three certifications. This followed two years of implementation of the three management systems in quality, environment and occupational health and safety. By becoming certified, Port of Grenaa gains a number of benefits. These include higher quality, increased efficiency, better risk management and more satisfied customers and employees.
The run-up to ISO certification began in early 2021. At the time, Port of Grenaa had enjoyed record sales for several consecutive years, and had a natural desire to become ISO accredited. This is natural because several of the customers were large national and international companies where the requirement would be to demonstrate quality and management in the areas of quality, environment and occupational health and safety if the collaboration was to continue. So it was important to ‘get on paper’ that things were in order at the port.
“It wasn’t that we weren’t in control of our business. We were. But with a growing organization, a lot more employees and a steadily increasing turnover, now was the time to get started,” says Mette Klit, QHSE manager at Port of Grenaa about the choice of time to initiate the certification.
She also emphasizes that the three management systems are important tools, as they place demands on Port of Grenaa as an organization and business partner.
“The requirements placed on us through the certifications are to ensure that we always perform at our best and always strive to set high standards for our norms, standards and values,” Klit added.
Henrik Carstensen, CEO of Port of Grenaa is also confident that the three certifications will benefit the port’s customers and employees.
“Several of our customers are among the market leaders in their field. For them it is a requirement that their partners are certified according to ISO standards in quality, environment and working environment. Therefore, it is of course important for Port of Grenaa that we have the certifications, so that we can retain our customers, but just as much that we can attract new ones,” says Henrik Carstensen. He points out that it will also lead to a safer workplace, especially for the employees who move around the port areas. Those who load and unload the ships and operate the heavy machinery on a daily basis.
“Especially for the employees working at the port itself, it will mean a safer everyday life. That’s because every little mistake or risk of mistake will be reported in a system so we can identify situations and places that could be potentially dangerous — and then do something about it in the form of an action plan,” says Carstensen.
Having achieved the three ISO standards, Port of Grenaa will now move on to optimizing and consolidating processes so that the organization is ready for the next follow-up audit in 2024.
ISO 9001: This standard describes the requirements for a quality management system that helps organizations deliver products and services that meet customer needs and expectations.
ISO 14001: This standard describes the requirements for an environmental management system that helps organizations identify and reduce their environmental impacts and meet regulatory requirements.
ISO 45001: This standard describes the requirements for an occupational health and safety management system that helps organizations create a safe and healthy working environment for their employees and other stakeholders.
The Port of Kiel in Germany is recording a positive trend in the paper business. After a decline in volumes in 2021, the total volume in the paper sector is almost recovering and is leveling off just under the 700,000 tonnes that have been the benchmark for the print and packaging sector in recent years. The reason for the drop in volume was the discontinuation of the print segment. Now, only packaging material is handled at the Port of Kiel.
“We can see that the area of packaging based on forest products is particularly relevant due to its wide range of possible uses. Therefore, we are optimistic about future developments in this segment,” says Dr. Dirk Claus, Managing Director of SEEHAFEN KIEL GmbH & Co. KG. The
RoRo terminal Port of Kiel. © Port of Kiel.
Port of Ystad is one of the largest ferry ports in Sweden and, through its strategic location on the Swedish south coast, constitutes an important asset for the transport industry and in its role as a supplier to the Swedish business community.
Port of Ystad has enjoyed steady development — especially since its billiondollar investment in the port’s expansion with two new ferry berths that were ready by Christmas 2020.
Port of Ystad is Sweden’s third-largest port for passenger cars, buses, and passengers. In addition to the port’s ferry berths, it also provides four berths for vessel traffic for conventional cargo and bulk. Despite being a relatively small port with 32 employees, the port handles large volumes, a total of approximately 3.5 million tonnes of goods annually.
With Port of Ystad’s advantageous and important position in the Baltic Sea, the port is part of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) and has submitted proposals to the EU to also include Port of Ystad as part of the larger multimodal transport corridors to strengthen Port of Ystad’s role in the interEuropean the network.
volumes handled at the Ostuferhafen terminal are primarily intended as packaging material for products in the premium segment for the European market.
The Port of Kiel is one of the German ports with the highest passenger numbers
due to its strong line-up in the ferry and cruise business. Daily connections to Norway and Sweden, long grown traffic to the Baltic States and a good hinterland connection make this port an important hub between Northern and Southern Europe.
Ystad Hamn has years’ experience in handling bulk and no load is too large, awkward or complicated.
Every year the port unloads and loads approximately 85,000 tonnes of wood chips, pellets and grain at its quay, Revhuskajen.
The port owns all the modern equipment needed to handle customer’s bulk cargo. Bulk is unloaded and loaded with bucket grabs and cranes. The port’s mobile harbour crane has a lifting capacity of 40 tonnes and also provides forklifts (5.5 tonnes) and loading machines.
Port of Ystad is proud of its environmental work and already in 2012 the at the time Swedish Minister of the Environment Lena Ek inaugurated the port’s shore power facility, which was then the world’s largest for supplying power to ships, both with 50 and 60 Hertz.
The electricity shortage is one of Port of Ystad’s biggest challenges today, Port of Ystad’s operations use around 6,000 megawatt-hours of electricity each year, of which 4,000 are used for the ships. At the same time, it is important to reduce the
noise level and minimize the percentage of emissions in order to continue striving for as sustainable a development as possible. Port of Ystad, constantly works to make its own operations more efficient.
Thanks to the shore power connection, the main engines, and auxiliary engines on board the ships can be switched off during the port stop when unloading and loading take place, which also means a better opportunity for maintenance of the machines.
Port of Ystad’s own internal operations have been fossil-free for many years. All vehicles run on electricity or synthetic diesel, HVO. A more expensive option above all when the port makes the investment itself, but it is an important step from a sustainability point of view and signals to the port’s customers that we are prepared to live up to the high demands and expectations that are set.
As part of Port of Ystad’s vision for 2030, with the expansion of port operations in the outer port, the port has already crossed the first threshold where all operations will be conducted in the future. Now the port is looking forward to completing existing and upcoming projects for Port of Ystad!
Port of Ystad Hamn, an important port on the Swedish south coast
In 2023, a number of ports are playing significant roles in the cargo handling industry across Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. In Latvia, there are three major ports — Riga, Ventspils and Liepaja, each serving shared industries, whilst also bringing something unique to the table. In Lithuania, Klaipeda port takes the spot as the main seaport handling a variety of cargo and serving as a major hub for ferry traffic to Germany and Sweden. And the ports of Tallinn and Muuga act as the major gateways for Estonia.
Taking a step back, Covid-19 delivered a shock across the Baltic states, reducing cargo volumes, disrupting logistics and supply chains and changing operational procedures. But with time, nearly all Baltic ports found a way to persevere through the difficult times imposed by the pandemic, with some ports even reporting turnovers greater than before the pandemic. However, 2022 met the ports with yet another challenge with the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation, not to mention the alarming rise of energy costs across Europe, which impacted the operation of many companies in the region.
It is no secret that for a long period of time, Baltic Ports have served as the key transfer point for much of the cargo moving between the East and the West, handling much of Russian and Asian cargo, but with the tragic events of 2022, the ports were left with a problem of filling that gap and finding new markets to service.
Focusing on Latvia, the port of Riga saw an increase in the flow of container traffic by an average of 10% comparing to 2021, handling about 460.7 thousand TEU in 2022, with the Baltic Container Terminal handling a new record amount in its history since 1996, handling a total of 326,000 TEU. This steady growth of container traffic may be attributed to the sharp decline in container traffic to the port of Saint-Petersburg, Russia, which to some accounts saw a decline of 64% in 2022.
Looking at the other two major ports of Ventspils and Liepaja, much of their success during and after the pandemic can be attributed to the active development of the industrial sector of Latvia, with many new companies finding a home in and around major cities, due to the availability of a skilled work force, alongside relatively lower operational costs comparing to the rest of Europe, making their products
more competitive, whilst also not losing out the quality of the final product. That paired with a developed port infrastructure has provided companies an easier access to the global consumer market.
For instance, Stena Line — one of the largest ferry operators in the world, has made the port of Ventspils its main gateway for ferry cargo between the Baltic States and Scandinavia. Compared with 2021, the Port of Ventspils has increased the amount of ferry cargo handled by 4%, reaching 2.35mt (million tonnes). To put this in perspective, since the inception of the ferry line in year 2000, the cargo amount has increased 200 times.
As for the port of Liepaja, the story is a little different. For a long time, during the Soviet Union, ship logistics were heavily impaired in the port due to it being a military hub for the Soviet Union, which is why now any increase in cargo volume through the port lands it yet another record in its cargo handling history. In 2022, the Port of Liepaja saw an increase of 7.8% comparing with 2021, which amounted to 7.71mt of various cargo being handled in the port. Furthermore, the local port authorities LSEZ (Liepaja Special Economic Zone) are hard at work promoting the ports capabilities on the global arena and are developing new cargo gateways between Europe and Asia, noting that a recent success has been promoting a new flow of cargo between Latvian ports and Kazakhstan. If we were to compare, in 2021 the amount of Kazakh cargo transshipped through Latvian ports equated to US$58 million; however in 2022 that amount has grown to US$216 million. This is an important milestone not only in terms of turnover, but also as a testimony that there is a way for well documented and certified goods with proof of origin to be transported from far away countries without the fear of breaking sanctions and handling goods from sanctioned countries.
Moving further, growth in the transshipment industry definitely does benefit the country and port companies, but it also brings up the question of sustainment, as the infrastructure that provides these transshipment services require trustworthy, durable and capable equipment and equipment maintenance to provide a high level of service. A major company in this field in the Baltic States is SIA “NK TEHNOLOĢIJA” or NKT for short, an engineering company based in Riga, with more than 20 years of
experience in this field. Throughout its continuous years of operating in this region, it has served all major ports in the Baltic States by providing excellent maintenance of dry bulk handling equipment, as well as providing well designed and engineered dry bulk handling equipment such as shiploaders, tilting spreaders, weigh hoppers and material feeders, and as of 2023 — new and improved Pelikan jib cranes.
Another recent noteworthy accomplishment is the controlled demolition of two STS cranes without any major disassembly, which offers quick and effective utilization of port equipment without the involvement of heavy lifting equipment, making the equipment ready to be scrapped.
The disassembly of the cranes can be split into two parts — preparation and execution. The preparation was no easy task and required professionals from different departments to put their minds together to plan out and account for every little detail, like how to preserve the integrity of the crane during the demolition, to not allow for any loose parts or shrapnel to leave the work site and put lives at risk, or how to preserve the quay and not damage the infrastructure on and around it. After careful planning and preparation, NKT’s skilled team of mechanics and welders under the guidance of our experienced superintendents took to preparing the STS crane for ‘landing’, reinforcing critical mechanisms and making just the right cuts for it to fold like a house of cards. The result was truly spectacular, seeing how a 36m-high crane folds in a controlled demolition. A video of the demolition is available on SIA “NK TEHNOLOĢIJA” official YouTube page.
ROXON is a company from Finland that specializes in material handling solutions, which includes equipment, components and customer service. The market in the Baltics has key potential for the material handling systems of ROXON due to its industrial and technological growth as well as geographical and historic ties. In the past few years, the company has carried out a number of deliveries in the Baltics related to material handling equipment and technology.
The line of ROXON products includes equipment and conveyor components. The material handling equipment is designed inhouse and backed by more than five decades of experience. This includes overland conveyors and underground mining equipment, feeders, stackers, reclaimers, hoppers and shiploaders.
In 2021 ROXON made component calculations and project delivery for two conveyors them being over 100 metres long together. The customer was BEGA which is one of the most modern stevedoring companies in the Lithuanian port of Klaipeda. The company specializes in the handling of dry and liquid bulk material. The project was made in a dry bulk terminal while the handled material were various types of agricultural products.
One of the more important aspects of the project was for the dust control system and high-quality components, to
work nonstop. The scope of the project included the installation of the ROXON DREAM Loading system with dust proof protection. This system includes pulleys, rollers, belt cleaners and drive end tail tensioning equipment. The DREAM system is a good solution to keep dust inside the loading section.
ROXON’s wide selection of components which include but are not limited to rollers, pulleys, belt cleaners and specialized solutions. To ensure safe and efficient production, the specialized products include a line of wear protection plates and belt condition monitoring systems.
The belt condition monitoring systems are named HX270 and HX170. Both
products monitor damages happening to conveyor belt 24/7, alerting the user and, in case of a critical damage, stopping the belt. HX270 consists of two modules which monitor both sides of the belt whereas HX170 monitors the material side.
Critical production requires a reliable system that can deliver comprehensive detection and fast actions. That’s where ROXON HX270 and HX170 systems excel and deliver.
As the mining and production market grows in the Baltics, the need for specialized and high-quality material handling equipment does too. ROXON is always ready for meeting the demands of its customers, giving excellent results in return.
HES Gdynia Bulk Terminal in Gdynia is a part of HES International, which is one of the largest independent bulk terminal operators in Europe. HES terminals do not only operate at the most prime port European locations but also the ports that are connected with the world major trade locations.
HES Gdynia Bulk Terminal is one of the largest bulk sea terminals in Poland, handling between 6-7 million tonnes of commodities per year. It is well positioned to support grain and animal feed trade, being a crucial gateway to both domestic and international markets. For over a couple of decades, the terminal has been handling a wide range of dry bulk products and developed advanced skills, experience and expertise in port operations. For the recent years, HES Gdynia Terminal has been operating the most efficient animal feed import handling technology in the area, providing also its services to a variety of non-grain products including: thermal coal, coking coal, coke, minerals, aggregates, ores and biomass. The terminal offers also liquid installation on two jetties for petrochemicals and fuels transloading. Alongside loading and discharge operations, HES Gdynia provides storage services in several warehouses and on a number of open yards.
Bulk vessels are operated at HES Gdynia on four water quays of maximum draught 13m, which makes it possible to accommodate up to five to seven vessels at
a time. That draught is to be deepened by the port of Gdynia to 15m in coming months, to allow larger vessels to call at HES Gdynia. Round-the-clock terminal operations, the deep draughts of the berths and storage yards alongside the water line plus the excellent connections with direct road and rail network are all convenient for both Baltic Sea smaller vessels as well as the larger oceanic shipments.
For the recent years, HES Gdynia Bulk Terminal has continued to develop the facility, technology and operations, meeting logistics requirements changes, and most recently, supporting its customers in building more sustainable supply chains. The company pursues sustainable growth through the acquisitions of the new electric, hybrid or low emission technology equipment to run smoothly, efficiently, in a safe manner, but also mitigating against climate change.
In February this year, a brand new Liebherr hybrid LHM550 has joined the fleet at HES Gdynia Terminal. The crane guarantees maximum lift capacity of 124 tonnes and will support two other same capacity mobile cranes. It will be generally operating using electrical drive units, while a diesel-powered generator, equipped with more restrictive technology PM emission limits, will be used only when necessary. With an extra purchased RAM Spreader set equipment — an up-to-date tool —
along with a new dry bulk grab, the newcomer significantly reinforces a berth handling capacity and the terminal will be able to speed up vessel operations with less impact on the natural environment.
Apart from the latest LHM550, HES Gdynia terminal replaces constantly other handling equipment for warehouses and yards operations. Two front-end loaders have arrived at the terminal in the last three months: Komatsu WA270 and Liebherr L514, but also a wheel loader machine Komatsu PC228 to support the shore cranes at berth side and yards operations.
HES Gdynia Bulk Terminal has also started a journey towards digitalization. Over the coming months and years that will result in assets optimization to remain reliable for the business partners and become more competitive in terms of performance. Data-driven asset management will enhance equipment management processes and enable to monitor and control CO2 footprint to achieve the target goals, zero incidents policy, reducing energy, water consumption and waste.
It was an extremely demanding year for many of the terminal ports due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and further global logistics changes afterwards. EUwide ban on Russian coal imports came into force on 10 August, intensifying the
The laboratory, situated in our Drachten plant, lies at the very heart of just about everything we do. Our company has built its reputation and market strategy on quality and the laboratory plays a pivotal role in the whole quality control process. For example, it is here that every single batch of rubber compound is checked and thoroughly tested before it is allowed to be used to produce conveyor belts. Unless the specific batch of rubber has received the ‘seal of approval’ from the lab technicians then under no circumstances can it be used. This is key to achieving consistency of quality and performance.
Quality control does not end once a belt has actually been produced because the lab technicians take random samples of belt and subject them to a wide range of tests performed strictly in accordance the relevant ISO test methods. For example, the cover rubber is tested for abrasion resistance and for its resistance against the damaging effects of ozone and ultra violet light. Testing the mechanical properties of the carcass includes longitudinal and transverse tensile strength, tear strength, adhesion, longitudinal and transverse elongation at break and elongation at 10% tensile strength. With the exception of the fabrics we use in our Ultra X belts and Optima Heat Xtreme belts, we do not manufacture the fabrics ourselves. It is therefore an essential part of the quality process to make sure that the fabrics we buy from outside suppliers meet the particularly demanding standards that we set including the ability to handle and steer accurately and also enabling strong, reliable splices to be made.
Testing samples of belt made by our competitors is also a routine part of the work carried out in the lab. This kind of testing provides a factual, scientific that helps us keep ahead of our competitors. As a company, we need to know the strengths and advantages of our belts and the weaknesses of the competition. It is not enough simply to tell potential customers that Dunlop belts are better quality and provide lowest lifetime cost because such claims must be supported by factual evidence. Staying ahead of the rest also involves constant research & development. We are constantly seeking to improve existing products and at the same time looking for new innovations. The Dunlop track record for innovation speaks for itself with several breakthroughs in recent years including BV GT, Ultra X and Optima Heat Xtreme. Another important aspect of their work is to test and check potential raw materials and components from possible new sources for suitability. The lab team need to make absolutely sure that their use will not compromise quality requirements in any way. Last but not least, the team are responsible for ensuring that all of our products are safe for both humans and the environment by complying with EU REACH regulations regarding the use of hazardous chemicals and also Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs). So, as you can tell, our laboratory really does lie at the heart of what we do and what we stand for.
Dunlop Conveyor BeltingEvery batch of rubber is tested and approved by the laboratory before it can be used.
Marcor Stevedoring has signed a contract adding Liebherr’s largest and most powerful mobile harbour crane to its dry bulk terminal in Rotterdam. The LHM 800 offers commanding and flexible performance, complemented by an electric drive and Liebherr assistance systems that will allow it to operate with a more environmentally friendly footprint. Additional digital interfaces and data connection features also make it overall more efficient and smarter.
Liebherr’s strongest and most innovative mobile harbour crane helps mark the next chapter in logistical operations at Marcor Stevedoring in Rotterdam. On 21 February, representatives from Marcor, C. Steinweg Group, and Liebherr met in Rotterdam for a contract signing ceremony. The new LHM 800 purchased by Marcor Stevedoring will play a key role in contributing to more economical and environmentally friendly operations at its forthcoming dry bulk terminal. The bulk cargo capacity of this giant is also unique at up to 2,300 tonnes per hour. Technical innovations in Liebherr’s latest-generation mobile harbour crane – including its electric drive unit, updated cabin, and more digital infrastructure – help ensure that current and future demands by the terminal can be effectively met. For example, it’s equipped for digitalized operating management and the integration of future assistance and partial automation systems. These benefits contribute to a more streamlined operation of the crane, saving time and costs for the operator.
Founded in 1997, Marcor is a professional dry bulk terminal operator that has so far had the unique characteristic of not having a shore facility at its disposal. Floating grab cranes and weighing towers have facilitated fast and efficient transfer of commodities to date. An expansion at the Steinweg Hartel Terminal, foreseen to commence operations through 2023, will encompass redevelopment and construction of state-of-the-art storage facilities onshore, with further plans to phase in sustainable and efficient storage and stevedoring operations at the site. C. Steinweg – parent company of Marcor Stevedoring – was also in attendance at the signing ceremony. “Our acquisition of a Liebherr LHM 800 for the Steinweg Hartel Terminal is an important step for us in ensuring that our bulk operations and services maintain strong growth,” states Ulf Boll, CEO at C. Steinweg Group, “we commenced the development of a new 160,000m3 quay-bound bulk warehouse, and these are directly reachable through a single manipulation crane grab. Size, performance, and mobility were therefore important factors in our investment decision. The crane’s electric
motor and Liebherr’s service offering rounded off this package. The fact that it’s fully electric is also aligned with our ESG strategy and our path to a carbon neutral operation. We’re excited to see the LHM 800 in action at our terminal and look forward to a productive future with Liebherr as a partner.”
The expanded terminal will feature 130,000m2 of space, a 600-metre quay with 16-metre draft alongside, and vessel handling options from barges up to 120,000dwt baby-Cape vessels, both for board-to-board transshipment and discharge to/from the terminal. Its development also supports a more sustainable operating model, including electrified shore cranes and conveying equipment, with 11,000m2 of solar panels being installed already.
“We’re pleased to support Marcor Stevedoring’s Rotterdam terminal with our newest LHM 800,” notes Andreas Ritschel, Deputy Sales Director for Liebherr Mobile Harbour Cranes, “among its innovations is the ability to interface with more components, making it possible to provide handling performance through electric power and offer smarter fleet management and maintenance overall. This will help save resources over time. Our network of skilled service technicians will also contribute to the machine’s long and productive life here in Rotterdam.”
The terminal is perfectly suited for the LHM 800, which can utilize an electrified infrastructure and empowers Marcor to handle larger quantities of bulk materials with a farther reach and reduced environmental costs. The two E-drive motors are installed internally within the crane’s engine room and are therefore protected from the elements, another benefit for the major bulk operations ahead.
Liebherr-MCCtec Rostock GmbH is one of the leading European manufacturers of maritime handling solutions. The product range includes ship, mobile harbour and offshore cranes. Reachstackers and components for container cranes are also included in the product
Conductix-Wampfler has one critical mission: To keep your bulk material handling operations running 24 / 7 / 365. You need proven, worryfree energy solutions - and Conductix-Wampfler has them. Our systems provide reliable electric power and water to stacker/reclaimers, barge and ship loaders/unloaders, bulk conveyors, tripper systems, and gantry cranes. Conductix-Wampfler systems are rugged, low maintenance, and timetested in tough, dusty environments. All products are backed by the largest sales and service network worldwide!
www.conductix.com
At Taman Seaport in Krasnodar Region on the Black Sea, two Triple Wagon Unloading Systems designed by SCHADE Lagertechnik GmbH (Gelsenkirchen/ Germany) have been in operation for the Russian company OTEKO Portservice since the beginning of 2020, and have so far unloaded well over 20 million tonnes of coal. Each system has a Wagon Charger capable of pulling 36 loaded wagons, each weighing up to 110t, successively through the unloading station. During operation the wagons have to be heated so that frozen coal will discharge when tipped. In order to reduce waiting time while the coal thaws, SCHADE and OTEKO have developed an innovative technical solution. Currently the defrosting operation takes around 20 minutes per train, increasing the unloading time from 36 minutes to 56 minutes in winter months. As the current design capacity of the Wagon Chargers is limited to 36 wagons, each incoming train of 72 wagons needs to be split into two strings of 36 wagons by the port operators, with each shortened string requiring the 20 minutes defrosting
time. In order to reduce the unproductive thawing time and thus increase the unloading efficiency, the Wagon Charger capacity will be increased from 36 wagons to 72 wagons. The required 20 minutes defrosting time is now applicable to the longer train with twice the number of wagons.
Because of the increased Wagon Charger capacity, once the first 36 wagons of a 72 wagon train have been unloaded, the port operators have the option of adding a further 36 wagons to the rear of the train to effectively provide continuous unloading, without the need to stop for thawing.
In order to implement this technical solution with a minimum of investment costs, SCHADE worked closely with OTEKO Portservice to design Wagon Chargers for which many components and equipment parts of the existing Wagon Chargers can be used. The new components which will be required are being fabricated individually and will be supplied end of this year.
After installation of the parts into the existing Charger, which will be taken out of operation while this is carried out, the first extended Wagon Charger will be ready in time for the winter season 2021/2022.
The AUMUND Group is active worldwide. The conveying and storage specialists has special expertise at its disposal when dealing with bulk materials. With their high degree of individuality, both its technically sophisticated as well as innovative products have contributed to the AUMUND Group today being a market leader in many areas of conveying and storage technology. The manufacturing companies AUMUND Fördertechnik GmbH (Rheinberg, Germany), SCHADE Lagertechnik GmbH (Gelsenkirchen, Germany), SAMSON Materials Handling Ltd (Ely, Great Britain), TILEMANN GmbH Chains & Components (Essen, Germany) as well as AUMUND Group Field Service GmbH and AUMUND Logistic GmbH (Rheinberg, Germany) are consolidated under the umbrella of the AUMUND Group.
The global conveying and storage technology business is spearheaded through a total of 20 locations in Asia, Europe, North and South America and a total of five warehouses in Germany, USA, Brazil, Hong Kong and Saudi Arabia.
To find out how you can benefit from advertising in the world’s only monthly dry bulk publication contact Andrew Hucker-Brown on T: +27 31 583 4360 E: info@dc-int.com W: www.drycargomag.com
“A man who stops advertising to save money is like a man who stops a clock to save time”
Den Bakker Dustcrusting technology b.v., (dbd global), is an expert in dust control and prevention. Dust is everywhere. It is not always visible, but often creates problems. Ever more stringent environmental legislation regarding dust control is putting pressure on many mine and bulk terminal operators.
Den Bakker Dustcrusting technology specializes in the control of dust, not only by cleaning areas that are already dusty, but also and most importantly working to ensure that dust does not become a problem in the first place. Being heavily involved in this matter as a contractor for more than 30 years, the company has
developed a range of solutions to help with dust control, including a range of specially designed spraying vehicles each having particular capacities and performances to suit the needs of a specific site or condition. The constant desire to improve led to the development of a very effective method to control dust, far better than
spraying pure water: the Dustcruster® technology.
DBD global has a solution for tackling dust problems commonly connected to storage of large stockpiles of coal, coke, petcoke, iron ore and similar products. The product is called Dustcruster dry® and consists of a selected blend of several types of cellulose fibres pressed into pellets.
The advantage of using pellets instead of ready mixed product is that it can easily and cost effectively be transported and stored as dry bulk or in FIBC’s (big bags) to the actual site where it is needed.
Once on site, Dustcruster dry® can then be dissolved into the sprayable product Dustcruster liquid® by adding water and using our special mixing installation.
The next step is to spray Dustcruster liquid® with the spraying trucks we developed for this application on the coal/coke/iron ore stockpiles, hence creating a tough and long-lasting and clearly visible white crust.
In order to reduce transport charges and to allow the use of the technology on a world scale, DBD Global has created Dustcruster dry®
Dustcruster dry® is a mixture of different fibres which are crushed into pellets and are transported in FIBCs (big bags) or containers.
Dustcruster dry® is supplied in FIBCs. One FIBC contains approximately 800kg, which allows for the production of approximately 3,200 litres of Dustcruster liquid®.
The maximum effective solution is three litres of Dustcruster liquid® per square metre crusting petcoke, but for crusting less dusty materials, only two litres per square metre is required.
On location, the Dustcruster dry® pellets are dropped in a special mixing tank with clean water where they transform into a liquid suspension, Dustcruster liquid® , ready for use.
Here also, the special spraying trucks are required to successfully cover the coal/iron ore stock piles creating a tough and long-lasting crust.
Dustcruster liquid® is an inexpensive and environmentally friendly (natural) product. After spraying onto coal and iron ore stacks, it forms a real ‘white crust’. Rain hardly affects its effectiveness; even after heavy rainfall (more than 100mm in one night), there is still a tough and long lasting crust of Dustcruster®
Only after digging into stockpiles is it necessary to repair the crust by spraying on a new layer at the disrupted area.
Dustcruster liquid® is mixed in a special installation. It has proven to be a better solution than all other chemical products because of its longer setting time. Dustcruster liquid® can be transported to most locations all over Europe where it is then transferred into large containers, equipped with mixers and sometimes even with heaters to allow work at near zero conditions. The company sells and rents the containers. For the spraying of Dustcruster liquid®, the specific spraying trucks are required, mostly agri-tractor towed.
Also once sprayed on the stacks, the Dustcruster® is clearly visible. It is (usually) white so you can see it from miles away.
This is certainly an advantage because, someone can see which stacks have been treated and whether the stacks are covered properly.
It also makes it easy to actually show the authorities that you are effectively working on a dust prevention system, which is better for the environment.
The constant desire to improve led to the development of a very effective method to control dust, far better than spraying pure water and without use of chemicals: the Dustcruster® technology.
A striking feature of the product is that you can even choose a colour. That way it is clearly visible for the local residents that the piles are covered and there is as little nuisance as possible from dust.
Another op can be, depending on festivities or even company colours, to have the possibility to add pigment to the product and stand out even more.
This is not only in a environmental positive way, but is also a way of cheering for your nation, business or other chosen topic.
The pigment doesn’t influence the product at all, the only thing it does is attract attention for the customer’s cause.
For potential users who are interested in the Dustcruster® technology, DBD Global offers the opportunity to see just how
Dustcruster® can solve dust problems. The company’s demo team will visit the customer’s home base with a special selfsupporting demo kit, consisting of: tractor, purpose built 8,000-litre tank trailer and a load of Dustcruster dry®. In that way, potential custers can experience the many advantages of Dustcruster® and see what it can do at their own working environment, and working with the local circumstances. Another advantage of DBD’s experienced demo team is that, with their action, customers can show the local authorities that they can actually control their dust problems. The correct water canon fitted to this trailer will be able to lay a tough and long lasting crust on every possible coal/iron ore stock pile. Also part of this demo kit is a smaller version of DBD’s mixing container, which is used to mix Dustcruster dry®. The water needed for mixing is to be supplied by the customer to create the sprayable Dustcruster liquid®
For overseas demos all over the world DBD Global has developed a purpose-built demo installation, designed to allow overseas transport at minimal freight rates. The installation fits in a 20’ container and the remainder space is filled with FIBCs with Dustcruster dry®
Once at destination, DBD Global’s experienced staff comes on site to perform the demo.
DBD Global has developed a solution for tackling dust problems on coal trains. Spraying Dustcruster liquid® onto the
surface of the coal trains using the Wagoncruster® spraying installation, creates a tough and long-lasting crust.
This crust safeguards the product from being lifted by the wind during transport. Developed and tested as far back as 2007 DBD Global’s Wagoncruster® installation has been proven to work most efficiently and automatically keeps up with the wagon filling process.
Den Bakker Dustcrusting has created a system where only a small amount of water is needed to create a large amount of foam. Dust control when handling/crushing wood and stone is particularly problematic, as using water can cause humidity problems. This larger foam surface is an excellent dust collector, and results in a better dust-free working environment.
This foam is created using special equipment that requires only 98 litres of water and a maximum of two litres of foaming agent to make a staggering 5,000 litres of foam. The foam is quite tough and long lasting. Depending on the actual activities performed the foam can last anything from three to 12 days.
Apart from the benefit of less humidity problems there is a huge saving on water.
The tank can be build customized and is easily put on a clients own trailer. This is considerately cheaper in costs and saves on transport costs. At delivery a team of our people demonstrates and explains the usage. This way clients can independently use the equipment and are very flexible.
Dustcruster® is no Polymer or other nasty chemical product.
Principal features of Dustcruster®:
It is a natural product, that is v environmentally friendly.
It is NOT a polymer or other nasty v chemical, sometimes used for this purpose.
It is NOT harmful for men, fauna and v flora.
It is longlasting, with a clearly visible v white colour.
It will result in a considerably lower v water consumption.
It has no known negative effect on the v bulk products it protects.
It will ease possible tensions between v environmental inspectors and with the population.
Den Bakker Dustcrusting technology b.v. has gained vast experience in the control of outdoor dust. It uses very advanced systems, stationary as well as mobile, which can operate under the most severe conditions.
Frost and strong winds present no problems for the company’s equipment.
Den Bakker Dustcrusting technology b.v. knows that each environmental problem needs its own approach and solution, and looks forward to each challenge of developing appropriate solutions for its customers, round the clock, seven days a week.
There is a solution for every dust problem. DCi
As we enter the post Covid-19 era and businesses are again on the up, the demand and supply ratio of raw commodities around the globe is also increasing. With new practical and low-impact environmental demands on many businesses in regard to ship loading/unloading systems, our way of handling materials is also evolving. Many existing industry projects have design lives of many decades and must meet current and future demands by increasing the likelihood of returns on investments while also contributing to sustainability via effective use of resources and equipment.
Ecological Hoppers (or Eco-Hoppers) are a prime example of sophisticated engineering ideas that came to life under
the influence of greener and more responsible practices.
Many dry bulk commodities produce dust pollution, posing issues for docks that will become more prevalent due to the consistent change of pollution guidelines, regulations and laws. This is particularly concerning for low capacity operatives that work seasonally and will not be able to invest in hefty substructure ventures as easily as operators and ports with regular flow.
Port operators rely largely on cuttingedge low-impact technology in their infrastructure investments to maximize the use and durability of current and future
assets. Grains, mineral ores, coal and coke, cement clinker, biomass, phosphate, and other fertilizers are common bulk cargoes in ports. Handling these commodities produces dust clouds. Environmental effects may be reduced while processing these cargoes by installing new and better dust control filter systems on future equipment, or by converting existing ones.
End-users that handle dry bulk must scrutinize the huge variations amid dealing containers and dealing with dry bulk items. Falling distance, loading rate, environmental considerations (rain, wind, and other conditions), mode of transport, material properties (moisture content and particle geometry), and loading/unloading practices are all major parameters that should be
taken into consideration when minimizing dust generation — the dominant goal. Environmentally friendly solutions will raise demand for new infrastructure investments or conversion projects for existing ones.
An excellent solution example for bulk materials unloading is an Eco Hopper, as pictured. It is an ecologically sensitive
solution fulfilling all needs for the efficient import of dry bulk cargoes. The hoppers are designed to suit the characteristics and flow properties of effectively any dry bulk material.
Fitted with state of the art dust suppression filters for the lowest possible environmental impact benefitting both port
operators and the surrounding environment around the port location.
Eco Hoppers can be suitably designed to receive bulk materials, which will be unloaded at the quay area via a crane grab.
The above featured hopper, has integrated:
Tapered Inlet Shroud designed to v
allow for a grab to be lowered within the reception area before opening. This will minimize dust generation created by cross winds and disturbance of airborne dust during the unloading operation.
Inner Hopper Isolation Shield — an v inner hopper shield designed to isolate the dust filter elements from the main material flow optimizing the filter media operation.
Flex-Flap Dust Seal System — special v sealing system incorporating braided flexible strips to maintain a negative air pressure within the hopper to contain dust and reverse pulse jet dust filtration system designed for high performance filtration with reduced air consumption resulting in a reduction of OPEX costs
Importing large quantity of bulk materials that need to be handled on site when they arrive, requires a safe, effective and dust free operation. An extra layer of dust suppression in many cases is an inward taper positioned on the top of the inlet shroud that reduces crosswind turbulence, therefore further reducing dust emissions.
Future import hopper systems must offer
flexible and environmentally friendly import and export operations for all bulk materials if they seek to increase the maximum potential returns of investments and increase the lifespan of equipment.
Distinctively tailored designs to match various types of vessels (e.g. from barges to post-Panamax size) and customer demands will provide an adaptive approach and enhancement in quality of operations at a
low price in the long run.
The examples of equipment provided by SAMSON Material handling are equipped with state of the art dust filtration systems which brings the environmental impact close to zero ranking them among the top current experts in the fields of adaptability and low ecological impact of operations in loading and unloading systems with over 46 installations worldwide.
Bedeschi offers tailor-made solutions and a variety of products to handle different types of materials; these products including its eco-hopper.
Bedeschi’s eco-hopper is an economical and flexible solution, able to satisfy the highest environmental standards, thanks to its ability to minimize dust pollution, ensuring the maximum efficiency during the grab discharge cycle.
Eco-hoppers are able to guarantee dust control with the application of systems to monitor dust production, such as controlled flow spouts, air cleaning filters and dry fog that use micro drops of nebulized water to keep the surrounding environment clean. Special applications used in eco-hoppers, combine the design, dust suppression, suction system and controlled flow chutes to facilitate dusty material handling through grabs.
Bedeschi’s eco-hoppers: are scalable to different grab sizes v (from 1m3 to 37m3); are ideal for use with any kind of v material equipped with pulse-jet bag filter with high filtration efficiency and less compressed air consumption; discharge to conveyor, truck, train or v Bedeschi apron feeder; are movable on rubber tyres and on v rail, or are supplied as fixed installations.
MELON – CHILE
Bedeschi supplied a new eco-hopper to Melon S.A., to be operated on the austral port of Punta Arenas, Chile.
The eco-hopper is designed for direct unloading of clinker to trucks at a rate of 600tph (tonnes per hour) and is designed to work with 12m3 grabs. The machine is
equipped with pulse-jet bag filters with high filtration capacity and performance and with low compressed air consumption: an economical and flexible solution to satisfy the stringent environmental standards required.
A set of four-bag filters is mounted in the volume between the upper receiving hopper and the hopper main body for dust suppression.
To minimize dust dispersion and spillage, the eco-hopper is equipped with a fully covered feeder conveyor and the skirt of the chute is always in contact with the stockpile.
Bedeschi’s eco-hopper can guarantee to contain and minimize emissions during every unloading operation, both from ship to hopper and from hopper to truck. As a result, the company has been able to meet and exceed the environmental regulations.
In fact, the eco-hopper is designed with a special support structure that allows for the solid anchoring of the hopper to the pier structure during unloading operations,
but at the same time it allows the machine to be moved by means of SPMT (selfpropelled modular transporter) when not in use. This configuration is made necessary by the multi-purpose nature of the Punta Arenas port and the structural limitations of the existing pier. These operational constraints have forced Bedeschi’s engineers to find a winning solution in terms of flexibility of use, weight limitation and structural strength.
For Watco, Bedeschi supplied two movable eco-hoppers on rubber tyres to handle clinker and fertilizer at a capacity of 800tph with remote control for full visibility on the surrounding while travelling.
The hopper consists of two parts: the upper receiving hopper and the hopper main body.
A set of four bag filters is mounted in the volume between these two parts to extract the dust from inside the hopper. The overall capacity is up to 60,000nm3/h.
For Takoradi Port in Ghana, Bedeschi supplied 3km of belt conveyors, two shiploaders and one eco-hopper.
The bags are automatically cleaned with a pulse jet system and all the particles removed from the bags simply fall inside the hopper itself. An access platform is provided for the ergonomic and safe replacement of the bags.
In addition, there is a fan outlet with silencer for noise reduction.
The feeder conveyor is fully covered to avoid the escape of dust due to wind action and to maximize the efficiency of the dedusting filters.
The dust-controlled telescoping spout for truck loading has an automatic lifting control to keep the skirt always in contact with the forming pile to avoid fugitive dust. An aspiration system keeps the inside of the chute depressurized.
The top grid serves to protect the machine from overside lumps or foreign objects. The grid can be used to support the grab for quick maintenance or in case of short wind gusts. The grid is equipped with flaps, whose purpose is to stop the returning flow of turbulent air and dust after emptying the grab.
The hopper is also fitted with a wash down system to avoid cross contamination between different commodities. All the wastewater is collected by means of pipes and trays and stored in containers for proper disposal.
For Takoradi Port in Ghana, Bedeschi supplied 3km of belt conveyors, two shiploaders and one eco-hopper, boosting the production and revolutionizing the management of the whole terminal.
The movable eco-hopper supplied runs on rails and is designed for direct unloading of clinker, manganese and bauxite to trucks at a rate of 600tph. The project involves state-of-the-art equipment in terms of environmental standards (dust collection and dedusting system specifically designed for this application).
Around the upper part of the hopper are positioned jet filters which collect dust from the air. There are filters installed on every side of the hopper. The dust suppression system, based on bag filter type is applicable only for the discharge of clinker. The upper part of the filter is used for the collection of the clean gas and includes the bag arrangement plates, provided with the holes for bags fixing (tube sheet), and the blowpipes for bag cleaning. It may be installed directly on the top part of the conveyor chute.
The dust suppression system based on dry fog is applicable only for manganese ore and bauxite. This system uses high pressure nebulized water to create a dry fog and suppress the dust in the transfer points using pressurized water, the ramps generate a curtain of micro droplets of water that capture the dust making it precipitate, the ramps are preferably positioned at the points of fall of the material.
For the Port of Sète in France, Bedeschi supplied one eco-hopper on rails to handle coal, grain and bauxite at a capacity of 1,200tph.
PORT DE SÈTE, FRANCE
Bedeschi supplied one eco-hopper on rails to handle coal, grain and bauxite at a capacity of 1,200tph (bulk density of 0.65t/m3) on a turnkey basis. This unit has a high level of customization, meeting the final requirements of the client, and is able
to load a jetty conveyor, trucks and trains.
A set of eight bag filters is mounted in the volume between these two parts to extract the dust from inside the hopper. The overall capacity is up to 60,000nm3/h.
The bags are automatically cleaned with a pulse jet system and all the particles
removed from the bags simply fall inside the hopper itself. In addition, there is a fan outlet with silencer for noise reduction.
Bedeschi is in charge of the whole process from engineering, procurement, construction until the final commissioning for the equipment.
For Albioma, Bedeschi supplied two movable eco-hoppers on rubber tyres to handle wood pellets at a rate of 1,000m3/h.
The project is state-of-the-art in terms of environmental standards: the dust control and de-dusting systems have been specifically designed for this application.
The eco-hopper was assembled in Germany and delivered fully erected to Port de Sète in France.
For Albioma, Bedeschi supplied two
movable eco-hoppers on rubber tyres to handle wood pellets at a rate of 1,000m3/h with a remote control for full visibility of the surroundings while travelling. The hoppers are able to load trucks and belt conveyors. The hoppers consist of two parts: the upper receiving hopper (circular diameter 9m) and the hopper main body.
A set of eight bag filters is mounted in the volume between these two parts to
extract the dust from inside the hopper. The overall capacity is up to 60,000nm3/h. The hoppers are provided with a special system which allows an effective protection from the escape of dust. The hoppers are divided in two parts. The upper part for material receiving and the lower part for the material accumulation. The upper part is provided with a grid which is formed by inclined steel plate and vertical rubber flaps.
These rubber flaps can be opened on one side during material discharge into the hopper. Jet-filters for collecting dust from the air are positioned around the upper part of the hopper. These hoppers were supplied according to ATEX regulations. The feeder conveyor is fully covered to avoid dust suppression due to wind action inside the port and to maximize the efficiency of the dedusting filters.
The Bedeschi company has developed a specific product line of ecological hoppers to meet all the needs of its customers. Furthermore, the standard product line is available with a high level of customization in terms of mobility, interfaces and accessories.
For Albioma, Bedeschi supplied two movable eco-hoppers. The units are on rubber tyres, and handle wood pellets at a rate of 1,000m3/h.
Nectar Group hoppers are employed extensively in ports across Africa; making them an ideal solution for emerging nations and new enterprises; specializing in safe and reliable bulk discharging equipment for bulk commodities such as grains, fertilizer, clinker, gypsum, and other minerals. Nectar’s range of hoppers are designed to balance environmental protection, with efficiently and profitability for customers to achieve operational advantages through market-leading technology and local knowledge.
Since the company’s inception in the 1970s, Nectar has emphasized operational flexibility and adaptability at the core of all equipment design. With extensive local knowledge and increased sensitivity to working in challenging environments, Nectar Group bulk handling equipment offers multi-use solutions to suit varied budgets, needs, environments and customization.
As a pioneer in the field, Nectar developed the world’s first mobile bagging machine designed specifically to be housed within two ISO standard shipping containers, revolutionary the bulk commodity handling industry, yielding increased savings in the movement of commodities. Over the last 50 years, Nectar has diversified into other maritime sectors such as terminal management, consultancy, and maintenance services. Today, the company has an extensive portfolio of bulk handling products, backed by a global team of highly skilled technicians and customer service.
Agribulk-fertilizer handlers and terminals must meet some of the most challenging dry bulk material demands in today’s volatile climate. Organic materials require sensitive handling to avoid spoilage, coupled with significant surges in intake from the seasonality of crop harvests.
The world is changing rapidly, and many companies need to upgrade or replace their existing bulk material handling installations with increased cost sensitivities. Driven by the requirement to switch more efficiently and to start up projects quickly; Nectar bulk hoppers focus on delivering utilitarian functionality, performance, and adaptability based on industry-proven technologies.
Equipment can be tailored and designed to suit a range of operations and feature: highly manoeuvrable mobile units; v the ability to handle a multitude of
dry/free-flowing bulk materials; practical and efficient dust reduction v solutions; hydraulic clamshell discharge valve; v low noise and low carbon emissions; v produced in just 45 days from order v and constructed onsite; easy to access for maintenance; and v ongoing support by Nectar’s local and v international team of technicians. Nectar’s hoppers are fully customizable to accommodate even the most unique of operations: multiple discharging points; v windbreaks; v platforms with ladders/stair access; v operating cabins and service v walkways; remote controls and sensors; v floodlights, traffic lights and sirens; v towing beams; v vibrating plates; v optimized baffle system for dust v containment; and discharge arrangements to suit v operational and cargo-specific needs.
Nectar hoppers are known for their
flexible operations and reliable performance, with clean discharging. Bulk materials can be gravity-fed directly to trucks, or alternatively can discharge to a belt, apron or other intermediate feeder device connecting trucks, or to a belt conveyor or stacking conveyor for immediate stockpiling. The company’s global team collaborates with clients, to ensure their project receives the right solution, fit-for-purpose ship-unloader for port operations.
In addition to significant savings in operational costs, Nectar’s build quality is designed with the highest-grade materials to withstand all dynamic loads — as well as the wear and tear of busy bulk terminals. Constructed in ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 approved factory; every build is inspected by RINA to ensure dimensional control and performance to agreed standards and CE Marked. Clients are guaranteed durability, performance and reliability with affordable installations and quick commissioning performed by Nectar technicians.
Nectar’s team recently completed a new
Nectar’s terminal dry bulk hoppers deliver cost-effective, durable and versatile handling solutions
contract for a client in East Africa which comprised of the design, building, delivery and commissioning of two bulk hoppers. Nectar collaborated with the client to develop a cost-effective option for safe discharging of dry bulk commodities with an operator’s cabin, traffic-management system, and hydraulic operated valves to control the flow of cargo. Nectar guarantees full client engagement with arranged client visits and factory tours during the build process. The equipment was assembled and commissioned onsite by its highly trained technicians. As part of global aftercare services, Nectar’s technicians will return to site once every two months to carry out inspections, maintenance programme and to deliver refresher training programmes.
Nectar Group technology continues to push the limits of capacity and service life, with strong emphases on service agreements, maintenance programmes, training programmes, spare parts and consumables as well as upgrades and conversions.
Recent developments incorporate multiple discharge valve designs for larger hoppers. These allow for faster truck loading and increased control of cargo flow. Nectar places sustainability at the heart of
ongoing advances through investments into R&D, innovation, quality, and safety. Improved solutions such as rubber baffle systems to reduce dust bellowing from hopper after discharging is just one of the ways the Nectar engineers are focused on environmental product improvements with cost sensitivity for today’s evolving markets.
Nectar’s Equipment Division continues to deliver state-of-the-art mobile bagging solutions and cargo handling equipment such as bulk hoppers, conveyors, and remote release grabs to a diversified global client base.
Nectar Group is expanding its worldwide maintenance support programme for all bulk handling equipment, investing in new technologies, asset life cycle management, QHSE, and local training
initiatives. It offers clients great expertise in safely handling a wide range of sensitive bulk materials from high value combinable crops, fertilizer, feed and supplements to clinker, aggregates, and minerals.
The company was established in 1972, since which time it has managed shipping projects and cargo operations in the UK, and worked in over 156 global locations across 75 countries. Nectar offers dry bulk handling services around the world, from quayside mobile bagging and bulk discharge services to consultancy, terminal management, maintenance programmes and award-winning mobile bagging and bulk handling equipment; all designed around its clients’ evolving requirements.
As Hudig & Veder Group, we are keen on creating an ultimate logistical plan for our customers by combining different departments and disciplines within our ABC-concept.
Our ABC-concept can therefore be best described as an existing supply chain under control of Hudig & Veder. Agencies, Chartering, Forwarding, Bulk & Projects, we offer the optimal collaboration between our business departments.
The ProStack Manta range is a market leading range of standard, heavy duty and customized environmental port unloading hoppers. Loaded with a crane and grab, Manta hoppers are robust, reliable and efficient bulk handling solutions — customized to the product, terminal and specifications of customers.
The full range of hoppers offers clients effective methods of handling a variety of bulk commodities, including grain, coal, minerals, cement, biomass and many others while being highly manoeuvrable. With six Manta specifications, that also come with a multitude of options, ProStack clients are sure to find a solution that works for them. For those with more specific needs ProStack’s team of engineers will work directly with their clients to develop a fitfor-purpose ship-unloader for any port.
A core feature of the Manta range is a commitment to reliability and longevity of the units, and the first step to achieving this is a strong and reliable hopper structure and frame. The hopper’s structure is an external, torsionally stiff frame, comprised of vertical columns and diagonal supports, fabricated from high quality steel to ensure strength. The structure is secured by full penetration welding, with appropriate levels of NDT (non-destructive testing) carried out.
ProStack wheel-mounted hoppers are fitted with a jacking and suspension system, to give the mobile units exceptional load handling, without putting undue stress on the hopper’s structure and the quay surface
during driving and loading.
The patented suspension system on each Manta hopper equalizes the pressure on all the wheels while the hopper is in driving mode, allowing the units to easily
traverse uneven surfaces without putting strain on the upright columns or the hopper structure. In loading mode, the Manta suspension system self-equalizes all static and dynamic loads, from the hopper structure and the bulk product being handled, evenly across the loading pads to the ground.
Once the hopper is in position, the Manta jacking system allows operators a very simple and quick transition between driving and operating modes. While loading bulk materials, the hopper is in operating mode and the loading pads are lowered. The weight of the hopper and the product being handled is transferred from the wheels to the loading pads. This allows greater dispersal of weight over the quay’s surface area.
The loading pads work with the suspension system to ensure the structural integrity of the hopper, they also preserve the wheels from excessive loads and therefore reduce the maintenance required on bearings and tyres.
The unloading and handling of many dry bulk materials can generate airborne dust. This dust can pose a health threat to port workers, is an environmental hazard and is a fire safety and explosion risk. Excessive dust emissions from bulk loading processes are heavily regulated in many jurisdictions for safety and environmental reasons.
Steven Aiken, Business Line Director for ProStack, says that “dust emissions represent a loss of product during the handling process. Manta port hoppers can be optioned with several dust and
environmental control systems to eliminate dust to the environment. When the grab is correctly positioned and opened by the operator, the loading process can be carried out with almost no dust and product loss.”
Aiken explains that “dust extraction filters can be positioned along and underneath the hopper’s thimble. These extractor filters suck air out of the hopper and thimble at a rate required to create significant negative air pressure. This keeps the product and dust subdued inside the hopper structure, while removing the dust from the air being extracted.
“The reverse-jet filter system collects dust from the extracted air in reusable filter bags, then periodically pulses compressed air through the filters to release the collected dust and return it to the product.”
If we were to google the term ‘weigh hopper’, we would find equipment from all across the board. These would vary in application, shape and size — and a deeper dive into the market conveys a clear message: this market is not an easy and welcoming one. It is very difficult focusing only on weigh hoppers, which is why they are often offered as part of a bulk handling chain. Moreover, weigh hoppers are becoming ever more important in terms of providing a solution for dust control, manoeuvrability, flexibility, high capacities and more.
In this regard, it is very important to choose the right partner to procure this equipment, making sure that they have the
appropriate experience and a focus on quality, seeing as this equipment usually handles 100% of the material flowing through this material handling chain, and is directly responsible for accurate flow measurement and control.
A notable company in this field is NK Tehnologija, a company based in Riga, Latvia which has focused on dry bulk material handling for over 20 years now. In terms of appropriate experience, NK Tehnologija designs and manufactures mobile and static shiploaders capable of handling cargoes at a rate of more than 2,000 tonnes per hour, and has all the knowledge necessary to design just the right weigh hopper solution,
which will integrate into existing material handling chains and satisfy all technical and environmental requirements. What makes these weigh hoppers special is the individual approach to every client, tailoring the hopper to the client’s specification, whilst also utilizing the extensive knowledge in the industry and applying the experience in every single project, allowing the hopper to be optimized to the location and intended application.
Material handling chains are very individual and vary from company to company, which is why it is imperative to seek support from a trusted partner in the industry such as NK Tehnologija.
Global Manufacturing, Inc. is a prominent American industrial vibrator and air blaster manufacturer. Its products are used to keep the material flowing out of hoppers, bins, and trailers. It works directly with industrial product distributors and OEMs that manufacture hopper systems. End users can purchase its vibrators through distributors or the OEM they purchased their hopper through. The company works with many self-unloading ships and ship builders.
Inconsistent or blocked flow of a bin or hopper can cause major industrial bottlenecks. This can be solved in the design phase of the hopper, but often, due to either space limitations or the consistent changing of materials, the hopper’s design is insufficient to achieve
mass flow. In these situations, the answer is very inexpensive and easy to fix; add a vibrator! (see Picture 1). Vibrators can be used for all types of bulk solids. These can include minerals, aggregates, powders, wood pellets, etc. Some of these items may not move well with vibration (like wood chips) and require an air blaster to give them the push they need. Air blasters are also great for cleaning out every last bit of material that could get stuck against the wall or in the cracks and seams (see Picture 2). It is all pretty simple if you have the right info to solve your flow problem, so put a lot of focus on education.
With its products, Global Manufacturing, Inc. strives for simplicity and longevity. With that in mind, it is always working to improve its products. Over
time, it has seen that innovation has to change with the times.
In the past, Global Manufacturing, Inc. v has improved common designs (used by many vibrator manufacturers) to develop elite lines that are still priced competitively. An example of this is its Yellow Jacket ™ (YJ) piston vibrator line. It has designed an advanced piston vibrator that can produce the same force if not more (sometimes double) than the competitor’s older design and with a 55–68% weight savings (Picture 3). It has also cut down on mounting requirements as its YJs only require one mounting bolt. Global Manufacturing, Inc. has v improved its designs to give the end user the ability to fine tune its units to give them the best output on-site (not every scenario has an off-the-shelf solution). In its Design Series pneumatic and hydraulic rotary vibrators, it has created adjustable weights to give the customer flexibility to adjust the force output as needed. With the ability to control the flowrate either motor, this gives limitless options of force and frequency settings between the min and max ranges for each vibrator.
A normal occurrence in manufacturing v is innovating processes to reduce costs and streamlining the supply chain, but it has become very important in the current economy. It is usually solved through scaling or growing batch sizes, therefore reducing costs per part. Lately, that doesn’t always work, but there have been some breakthroughs in certain manufacturing processes that could aid in reducing costs through reducing the number or shortening the touchpoints by labourers. Global Manufacturing, Inc. is constantly looking for these improvements.
Like most customer-oriented v manufacturers, Global Manufacturing,
Inc. will make changes based on feedback as well, whether direct or perceived through market changes or customer purchase cycles.
Global Manufacturing, Inc. always strives to innovate its v way of educating the masses on how to recognize issues, solve them, and how to care for its products (Picture 4).
Education is a major tenet for Global Manufacturing, Inc. This will save customers and end-users a lot of money. |The company’s educational focus has forged great bonds between it and application engineers. It has helped the shipping industry to design new systems or redesign their old systems to make sure they deliver every single grain of their material. This has culminated in major contracts for large numbers of air blasters/cannons being used instead of or in conjunction with vibrators!
To expound on this, Global Manufacturing, Inc. has focused on educating its distributors to better recognize where a vibrator is needed and its OEMs to evaluate their products in order to pick the most effective unit (which is usually the most cost-effective solution too). Global Manufacturing, Inc.’s education has provided engineers with new ways to look at a problem. The answer is not always more force, but usually centres around finding the material’s resonant or natural frequency. This can seem complex, but Global Manufacturing, Inc. has recently made its personal Rotary Vibrator Calculator available to everyone on its website so customers can quickly evaluate which vibrator is best for them. It also has many ‘How To’ guides on its website to explain the science used in the calculations as well as mounting, proper use, proper maintenance, etc. Apart from finding the right vibrator for the customer’s scenario, the next most important step is mounting. Global Manufacturing, Inc. really drills down on properly educating a new customer on correctly mounting a vibrator. A good mount is paramount in doing three things:
1) allowing the vibration to reach the material, 2) not destroying the hopper, and 3) not destroying the vibrator. These three things can and have happened in the shipping industry and Global Manufacturing, Inc. aims to fix this.
The company does all of this while maintaining the best warranty in the business — a Lifetime Warranty.
Created in 1978 by the French company STANDARD INDUSTRIE International, the AIRCHOC® is an air cannon that is placed preventatively on raw material storage units. Thanks to regular shots, it allows to avoid production stops due to material accumulation.
It is a cost-effective maintenance solution that uses 6 bar compressed air only when the shots are activated and is adaptable to many bulk areas.
STANDARD INDUSTRIE International's technical teams study an optimal installation recommendation according to
the clogging factors and the environment in which the unit will be used (risks, high heat zone, corrosiveness, humidity). With a great many installations realized, STANDARD INDUSTRIE International has launched a new version of its iconic AIRCHOC air cannon to allow its users to save compressed air while maintaining very good results.
An air cannon has two main components: a pressure vessel (storing atmospheric pressure), and a release mechanism (high speed release of compressed air).
Air cannons are permanently installed on the walls of silos and hoppers for all powder-like materials, thus preventing the formation of bridging and ratholing while maximizing storage capacity.
Air cannons do not require a specific air pressure. The factory air supply is usually sufficient with a minimum pressure of 4 bar, although 5 to 6 bar provides better results.
Average air consumption is moderate, depending on the number of shots per hour, the size of the tanks, and the number of air cannons installed.
The AIRCHOC® has always had the performance, profitability and safety characteristics expected by customers. The latest innovations of the AIRCHOC® version 6 are focused on compressed air savings.
Thanks to a better sealing of the piston and to a better impact force on clogging (10% higher than the older version), the air pressure can be reduced for an equivalent result.
The version 6 of The AIRCHOC® meets the challenges of the energy saving policy. Using an AIRCHOC® air cannon makes it possible to stabilize and optimize the industrial processes. Indeed, when unclogging happens too late, this may cause a loss of material (solidified, for example), contamination or fermentation of products, or a temporary halt to production.
The first grain system to be supplied by Cleveland Cascades Ltd was in 1997. Over 60 systems have been designed and supplied since then for applications involving loading grains. The system types include Cascade and both Freefall variations for which Cleveland Cascades supplies as either telescopic cones or tubes. The uses for the systems range from large ship loaders to smaller dedicated vehicle/tanker loaders.
A major consideration for systems loading grains are the hazardous area requirements. It is extremely important that these are understood from the beginning of a project and that the components selected are approved for use by a notified or certified body. This is respective of the customers’ requirements and also the final destination of the system
as these will determine the project approvals to be satisfied whilst also identifying the applicable standards and regulations.
CC368
Supplied way back in 2001 for loading grains, the CC368 system is one of Cleveland Cascades older systems. It can still be found in operation today over at Immingham Docks in the United Kingdom, some 22 years after the goods had dispatched from
Cleveland Cascades premises. This displays the quality of the systems produced by Cleveland Cascades, and with
storing & moving grain effective operations benefit from quality systems and advanced technologies
proper maintenance, the longevity that can be achieved for such a loading solution.
In total, the system length is approximately 20.2m from the interface to the base of the outlet which for this system was decided to be a 360° rotating trimmer. The rotating trimmer outlet allows for even distribution of the material being loaded into a vessels hatch and ensures that the harder to reach corners are utilised thereby improving the efficiency of loading operations.
For the required throughput at 1,200tph (tonnes per hour), Cleveland Cascades 1500-sized GRP cones were selected to satisfy the rates and also provide further scope in the future if the rates were to increase at all. These cones are lined with a 6mm thick UHMW PE anti-static liner granting sufficient wear resistance from the abrasiveness of the grains being loaded, this is further reduced due to the ‘Cascade concept’ of how the material passes through the cones.
The Cascade concept directs material flow down a series of inclined cones limiting the flow velocity to a more controlled speed. Naturally the shape of the cones holds the dry bulk material in such a way that prevents particulate separation and minimises material degradation improving the overall product quality. The significantly reduced material velocity creates a mass flow, an individual stream of material moving as a single mass through the system.
Using this technology practically eliminates dust generation at source eliminating the requirements for expensive, energy and maintenance intensive dust extraction and filtration equipment. The Cascade system can reduce dust emission level to as low as 5mg/m3
This is another system specified for loading grains, supplied in 2012 and installed at Port of Newcastle, Australia. In total, the extended length of the system from the head drum centreline to the base of the skirted outlet is 31m with an achievable retracted length of 7.4m.
The selected cone size for the project was Cleveland Cascades 1700 GRP cones inclusive of a 6mm UHMW PE anti-static liner. These cones have a volumetric throughput capacity of 2,800m3/hr which is greater than the 2,650m3/hr requirements for the given material specification and feed rate.
By selecting a cone which has a higher volumetric throughput capacity than required for the project, an allowance is
made for any small material surges which may occur as material is received from the ship loader belts.
Due to the liner selection and hazardous area requirements of the project, an anti-static system had to be installed to the cones. This is done in the form of static earthing straps being attached between each of the GRP cones, the top strap is then connected to the head chute with the bottom strap being connected to the carrier. This provides an earthing path for the static charge to dissipate during loading operations.
It was decided that any components that were to be in contact with the grains was to be sourced rated suitable for use in ATEX Zone 21. This is classified as an area that is defined as ‘a place in which an explosive atmosphere in the form of a cloud of combustible dust in the air is likely to occur during normal operation.’
The final system supplied by Cleveland Cascades to be discussed in this article is CC892 which is located at Sao Luis Port, Brazil. This Cascade solution was designed to load grains and other foodstuffs at rates of up to 3,000tph with a range of material
densities from 0.65 to 0.8 tonnes per cubic metre. For the extended system length, 25m is required from the head chute interface to the base of the skirted outlet in order to reach the bottom of the ships hatch, the achievable retracted length was 7.7m.
For the given material specification and project parameters, one of the larger 1900sized systems had to be selected to allow for the material feed rate to pass through the system. The 1900-sized GRP cones are lined with 8mm thick UHMW PE anti-static material with the head chute featuring 8mm Stainless Steel Grade 304 liners.
Installing stainless steel liners in the head chute results in reduced wear being experienced and therefore increases the lifespan of the liner. This is all whilst keeping the overall system weight and cost down by installing UHMW PE liners in the cones where the material is under control in a mass flow state and as such is a more suitable choice both technically and economically.
It is known that loading grains produces hazardous area requirements which must be respected, for this application the designated ATEX zones were Zone 21 inside and Zone 22 outside with all electrical components installed on the
project rated as such for their respective location.
A specific challenge for this project was to be able to provide a solution which allows loading to continue during any rainfall, typically the ships hatch would have to be closed in order to prevent the bulk material becoming wet. To combat this, the system was supplied with three hatch chargers of varying sizes for use with the inlets present on the ships hatch. These included flexible collision switches, level indicator and a built-in compensation system for tide and vessel movements in
order to maintain a seal with the hatch.
Cleveland Cascades is a specialist in the design and manufacture of bespoke dry bulk loading chutes. Based in the North East of England, the company has built a population of over 650 systems, working in bulk handling facilities worldwide.
Cleveland Cascades is best known for its Cascade controlled flow technology chute, which uses a series of inclined cones, inside a retractable cover, to control dust
pollution at source, while at the same time minimizing both material degradation and segregation. This technology has established the company as a global force in ship and silo loading chutes.
The company’s range of free fall chutes, complement the Cascade and have applications in tanker loading, vehicle loading as well as ship & silo loading.
Cleveland Cascades has developed a worldwide reputation for quality, wellengineered, robust, high performance chutes, backed up by excellent customer service and global lifetime product support.
The Port of Tilbury’s Grain Terminal in the UK has reached an important construction milestone with the completion of the concrete slip form for the new silo, which will add a further 34,000 tonnes of automated storage at the busy Thames based terminal.
Once the mechanical and electrical fitting is complete, the new concrete silo is expected to be fully operational in January 2024, bringing a combined total storage on site to 134,000 tonnes, underpinning the
grain terminal as the UK’s largest import and export grain handling facility.
The new concrete silo will be in addition to the ten steel silos and flat store with a combined storage capacity of 34,000 tonnes, which became operational in September 2022. These steel silos are filled with a 650 tonne per hour transfer conveyor system which also serves the automated filling system for the 14,000tonne flat store. The transfer conveyor also delivers grain directly from the terminal to
two adjacent customer flour mill sites.
The concrete silo rebuild has been undertaken following a fire in 2020*.
Peter Ward, Commercial Director at The Port of Tilbury said: “We are making great progress towards the complete reconstruction of our busy grain terminal. Once the new concrete silo is operational,
Our bespoke solutions are designed to meet each customer’s specific requirements from a tool kit of proven components, utilising the expertise of a team of specialist in house design engineers.
We lead the loading chute industry & set the standard for dust emissions and environmental pollution control in dry bulk handling.
Our worldwide reputation is built on high quality, well-engineered, robust, high performance chutes, backed up by excellent customer service and global lifetime product support.
the Grain Terminal will be back to full capacity on one site.
“Over the past two years, our team has worked hard to ensure that our customers have not experienced any service interruption and we are extremely proud of the high level of service that we have provided for this important industry.
As the UK’s largest grain facility, we are an essential part of the UK agricultural supply chain for imports and exports.”
The Tilbury Grain terminal has been in operation for over 50 years and is a key strategic facility in the South-East of the UK for the grain import and export markets handling over two million tonnes of product from around the world. Grain is a key commodity in the UK food supply chain for a number of uses, most notably within the flour milling and bakery industries. The
terminal also operates a monthly coastal shipping service from Tilbury to its sister port in Kirkcaldy, Scotland for Carr’s Milling.
Forth Ports Limited owns and operates Tilbury, alongside seven other commercial ports on the Firth of Forth and the Firth of Tay: Grangemouth, Dundee, Leith, Rosyth, Methil, Burntisland and Kirkcaldy.
The Port of Tilbury is the number one UK port for forestry products, construction materials, paper, grain, recyclables and warehousing space. The port has a strong market presence in bulk commodities, ro-ro, cars and cruise vessels. The port’s London Container Terminal handles a mix of short and deep-sea
services, is the UK’s number four port for containers and has the greatest reefer (refrigerated container) point connectivity in Europe. Tilbury’s strategic location makes it a natural point for distribution, with nearly 20 million people living within 75 miles. Serving the UK’s market, the port offers customers excellent transport links to and from the UK’s capital and across the South East where over 50% of the population live and work. The port is a diverse multi-modal hub, covering around 1,100 acres (850 acres and the London Distribution Park, in addition to the Tilbury2 site) and is well positioned to access the M25 orbital motorway and the rest of the UK’s national motorway network. In addition, there are direct rail connections within the port and dedicated barge facilities.
With over 70 years of experience in dust collection, Mideco is known to solve even the most challenging dust collection and extraction problem across a diverse range of industries, and globally. Established in 1950, the company brings together generations of expertise and excellent capacity to deliver tailored industrial dust collection solutions to keep thousands of employees healthy and safe.
Grain handling facilities receive, handle, store, process, and ship bulk raw agricultural supplies such as wheat, soybeans, barley, oats, and many others. It is a high hazard industry as workers can be exposed to various serious and lifethreatening hazards, and dust is one of them. In extreme cases, where other factors are involved, significant amount of dry grain dust can result in explosions that may lead to injuries and closure of the facilities. Such cases are on the rise in the USA where they have been linked to the increase in grain production and handling.
Mideco’s Burnley® Baffles was invented as a result of a dust challenge in the grain handling industry and are now a standard dust suppression system with hundreds of installations in Australia and around the world. The piles of dust that escape during the materials handling process poses extreme health risks, and the exposure of silica dust can lead to the development of silicosis, lung cancer, and other chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases. The Burnley Baffles can eliminate up to 80% of dust, and if you apply an additional dust collector directly to the hopper, 100% dust can be eliminated.
A Burnley Baffle installation consists of a set of modules that fill the open inlet face of a hopper. Each module contains a set of blades that pivot to allow the material to flow into the hopper. The dust generated from the material falling into the hopper cannot escape because the hopper is only open where the material is entering. The common method of dust suppression we see using a dust collector alone is more expensive, not effective, complicated installation procedure, and runs on electricity which contributes to higher overall project costs. Whereas, the Burnley Baffles dust suppression system can be utilized during any method of grain
unloading — by ship, rail, truck unloading, bag tipping, drum tipping, and front end unloaded material transfers.
The competitive advantage of Burnley® Baffles is hard to beat. It is easy to install, virtually maintenance free, can be customized to a hopper of any size and is available in various sizes to suit different types of dry granular bulk raw materials.
An example of Burnley Baffles installed for a soybean application is for one of the biggest grain handling facilities in Australia, largest importer of protein meals, and has ten million tonnes of storage capacity. This is a high-volume agri-business that has been in the industry for over 65 years. The client required a major grain handling equipment, capable of handling soybean meal at a rate of 250 tonnes per hour having a density of 650kg/m3. Since Burnley Baffles can be customized into various sizes to suit different types of dry granular bulk materials, Model 2 along with a dust collector (ECP32) was recommended for this project. The project was successfully completed towards end of 2021.
Burnley Baffles can be designed to the customer’s specific project specifications and installed at their project site, or can be flat-shipped to a client and assembled at the site following easy instructions. This will also help reduce the overall project cost.
There are five models available in total, depending on what dry granular material is involved. Baffle lengths and widths vary between models and specific applications. Depths are preset depending on the application and therefore the model. The most common application is grain, however Burnley Baffles have been assisting with dust suppression during glass manufacturing, installed at a quartz plant, used for fertilizer and sand applications, and biomass. Mideco’s environmental technologies can help businesses solve any biomass dustrelated problems while taking care of the most precious resource — people.
The import/export and storage of grain are determined by several key factors, including moisture content, bulk density, combustion risks levels, compositional value and more. As demand for grain rises around the globe, we are also witnessing a rise of different applications and investments. Because of the limited amount of operational usage during the year, some of
these investment ventures chose fast track mobile solutions compared with a fixed installation which ends up being unused when the end-users are no longer importing/exporting, resulting in lower investment and bigger financial returns. The main benefits of mobile equipment types is, for one, that they can be stored and moved along the quay when not in use, thus forming what we know as a multipurpose
quay. Secondly, a faster delivery and commissioning process get the customer’s business operations on track. Below is an outline of some of these solutions based on various criteria when handling or storing grain materials.
There are three predominant factors involved when storing grain.
Appropriate temperature regulation for grain stock is essential to sustaining a superior stream and preventing damage and overall loss. Contingent on the form of grain being stored, different temperature standards are compulsory.
A high dampness content in grain storing can produce mould and attract pests. To avert mould growth and pest corruption and preserve grain superiority, it’s critical to keep moisture levels under control.
When instigating improved grain handling quality mechanism practices, it’s
indispensable to integrate consistent assessments. When performing regular inspections, it’s essential to examine the grain stock itself as well as the loading machinery and mechanical systems. Any breakdowns in grain loading equipment such as fans can prevent accurate handling and storage.
Grain is a major commercial commodity as, unlike other agricultural goods, it can be easily stored and transported with minimum deterioration. Grain production and commerce are critical to many regions. The grain trade predates agricultural settlements, and can be found in many of the first societies that practised sedentary farming. Prior to, and after the industrial revolution, there has been a major influx of original, innovative and disruptive technology which improves upon existing trends or in some cases completely changes the way we operate.
Below are some examples of industry leading mobile grain handling equipment.
A SAMSON mobile STORMAJOR® opens
up new possibilities for stockpiling, barge loading and rail car loading. As well as featuring a radial outloading boom on a single chassis, it has the unique benefit of total mobility, providing universal applications and ultra-high performance. It has the flexibility to receive a wide range of materials directly from tipping trucks, shovels or articulated dump trucks. A STORMAJOR® offers the performance of a fixed installation without the need for permanent infrastructure.
In many areas around the globe where grain fields are close to a body of water (UK being a perfect example), shiploaders +
attached material feeders allow direct truck-to -ship conveying processes.
The fully mobile chassis of the SAMSON mobile shiploader allows it to be operated anywhere in the port. Different designs make it suitable for use with every type of vessel, from barges to Panamax size. Loading capacity reaches up to 2,000 tonnes per hour, depending on the specifics of the material being handled.
The Samson® material feeder is a highperformance truck unloader with proven reliability for continuous process industries. It receives bulk materials directly from tipping trucks and loading shovels, providing a buffer storage capacity and a controlled discharge rate. Installed
more than 1700 80 countries years 40
more than
STATEC BINDER stands as a strong and reliable partner for the packaging of your products.
above ground, with no need for deep pits and expensive civil engineering works, it is a flexible alternative to traditional underground hoppers. The wide belt design principle used allows any material to be reliably conveyed without the risk of bridging or blockage.
When handling dusty materials such as grain there is always the added risk of spontaneous combustion. These sophisticated hoppers provide dust extraction and explosion proofing measures.
The Eco Hopper (see ‘Protective growth with SAMSON Eco Hoppers’ on p55 of this issue) is an ecologically sensitive solution fulfilling all needs for the efficient import of dry bulk cargoes. The hoppers are designed to suit the characteristics and flow properties of virtually any bulk material. The throughput of the terminal can be increased by adding one or more hoppers, and ensuring that onward handling systems can accommodate the increased capacity.
International commodities markets have lately become an essential aspect of the dynamics of food systems and grain prices. On top of this, climate change-induced agricultural policy changes are projected to have a domino impact on global grain prices as investors and end users need to assure that the procured equipment will have long-lasting validity and longevity due to the nature and increasing pace of environmental regulations. This will continue to evolve and change both on the storage and equipment handling side alike.
In the grain sector, Bedeschi is a manufacturing and project engineering company with a global outlook, skilled in the design, production and supply of machines and integrated systems for grain handling (shiploaders, ship-unloaders, belt conveyors, pipe conveyors, enclosed conveyors and any other ancillary equipment).
The company offers a complete range of equipment for the food industry and has the ability to integrate any ancillary or process equipment to provide a complete system.
Bedeschi is present worldwide. It recently announced its latest branch openings in Australia and Germany. It can customize any equipment to comply with any local standard or company specifications. Its expertise goes beyond the evaluation of technical challenges and is aimed to optimize design, manufacturing, transportation, and installation.
Bedeschi can load and unload to/from ships of any size, any kind of bulk material either free flowing (wheat, corn), highly abrasive (rice, soya beans, barley) and nonfree flowing (meals, DDGS). Productivity ranges are from 100tph (tonnes per hour) to 3,000tph.
Thanks to the knowledge it has gained in over 100 years of operation, Bedeschi
has extensive experience in providing equipment of any size delivered in pieces and assembled locally, as well as delivering it fully erected to site. Transshipment expertise completes and complement the range of on shore solutions.
Every shiploader is designed to match the specific requirements of each project and the client’s specific needs. This is why Bedeschi supplies customized solutions to maximize efficiency and environmental protection. Some shiploaders have shuttletype delivery booms with reversible belts, while others have retractable mechanism capable to extend the outreach; some have been fitted with straight delivery spout while others have incorporated a distributing chute designed to deliver cargo in all parts of the holds in order to avoid broken spaces.
Bedeschi proudly offers tailor-made solutions to its customers; highly standardized components manufactured in its Italian workshop are combined with the best engineering to optimize investment returns. This means well-designed installations and innovative mechanical solutions for the wide range of machinery. The company can offer: slewing luffing and
telescopic shiploaders (SHLs), slewing luffing and travelling SHLs and luffing and travelling (A-Frame).
Bedeschi can also offer rubber-mounted travelling SHLs, which are a simpler solution to avoid civil works on the dock. They are ideal for use with lower-capacity and smaller vessels. They work well with modular truck-discharging hoppers, and interface with upstream conveyors or selfpropelled solutions.
This (pictured below) is the latest example of a Bedeschi rubber tyre-mounted travelling SHL and is also one of the best examples of the company’s engineering and manufacturing capabilities. This shiploader, fully mobile on rubber tyres, can load grains and oilseeds on Panamax ships at a capacity of 1,000tph, received from trucks on a twolane drive-over hopper. This is fully integrated and mobile with the shiploader itself, and weighs and cleans product using a twin set of scalpers, and samples according to local standards, and finally loads the product dust-free using a Cleveland Cascade telescopic chute. Moreover, due to the limitations of the receiving quay, the machine was delivered to site fully erected and dry tested.
Bedeschi offers a wide range of mechanical ship-unloaders for vessels up to 120,000dwt, fixed or mobile on rails or wheels with handling capacities ranging from 100tph to 1,500tph. It also offers pneumatic ship-unloaders for vessels up to
Among other equipment, Bedeschi has supplied a continuous ship-unloader to Ashdod Port in Israel; this unit has a capacity of up to 1,200tph.
20,000dwt, fixed or mobile on rails or wheels with handling capacities from 100–300tph.
Ship-unloading technology has been developed in-house at Bedeschi, including expertise gained from growth and acquisitions. To complement the bucket
unloaders that are already part of the equipment line, mainly for the high-capacity handling of coal and ores, the company has added chain elevator unloaders. This technology, even if it was already part of the portfolio, has been boosted by the acquisition of Berga (formerly part of GEA).
Bedeschi’s eco-hopper (see ‘Bedeschi’s ecohoppers exceed environmental regulations for efficient and dust-free unloading operations’ on p60 of this issue) is an economical and flexible solution, able to satisfy the highest environmental standards, thanks to their ability to minimize dust pollution, ensuring the maximum efficiency during the grab discharge cycle.
Eco-hoppers are able to guarantee dust control with the application of systems to monitor dust production, such as controlled flow spouts, air cleaning filters and dry fog that use micro drops of nebulized water to keep the surrounding environment clean. Special applications used in eco-hoppers, combine the design, dust suppression, suction system and controlled flow chutes to facilitate dusty material handling through grabs.
In recent years, Bedeschi has supplied different equipment for grain and clinker handling to Ashdod Port. This equipment included three eco-hoppers and a continuous ship-unloader. One hopper is being used to unload clinker to trucks at up to 800tph, and two are unloading grain at a rate of 550tph.
A filtering system prevents air pollution
during loading and unloading. In the complete process flow, the two conveyors will receive grain materials from Bedeschi’s continuous ship-unloader under operation. This ship-unloader will operate at a capacity of 1,200tph, and will feature a cutter able to unload free-flowing as well as non-free flowing (meals, DDGS) materials. Enhanced operation with increased capacity can be also achieved with full respect for the environment.
The use of completely enclosed or pipe belt conveyors helps to avoid emission and spillage of material. Moreover, the PC technology reduces the necessity for dust suppression systems; this means that the energy usually used to operate these is saved. Then, this system gets rid of all the drops between conveyors that is a waste of energy totally useless for the process. Without transfer towers it avoids a lot of steel, foundation works, and installation activities, thus reducing the carbon footprint of the plant and the environmental impact. Environmentally friendly design of the pipe conveyors can find application also in the grain sector.
The use of enclosed belt conveyors and/or chain conveyors in ship-unloading or shiploading systems, ensures that the
material is handled in a completely sealed volume, all along the conveying path from or towards the ship’s holds. The need for dedusting equipment is reduced to its minimum and possibly eliminated.
The application of pipe conveyor technology to grain handling business is the most notable recent development. This kind of conveyor allows for dust-free operations (being product completely sealed by the rubber belt), extremely reduced cost supporting steel structures and galleries thanks to the reduced section and weight compared to a standard belt conveyor and full lay out flexibility being transfer towers not necessary for changes of height or direction of the conveyor.
This is the largest pipe conveyor ever commissioned for grains and oilseeds in Argentina. It was supplied by Bedeschi to Renova Plant in Rosario. It has a capacity of 1,500tph and a length of 700m for soya beans.
This type of conveyor grants unprecedented flexibility in the layout design (no need for transfer towers and the potential to bend and change inclination with a single belt), dust tight transferring of material and lower operational costs compared with traditional conveyors.
The bumper grain harvest in Australia has led to record throughput for exporters in Australia. With more loading activities, there is more dust being generated, creating a problem for some companies with heightened awareness of local communities. One such company in South Australia has turned to Blue Water Misting (BWM) to help reduce dust in the following areas: truck receivals from the farm to silo; truck load out to the ship loader; container stuffing; and hopper loading.
Blue Water Misting worked with the client to determine the sources of dust and prepare a solution for the fugitive dust emissions. BWM placed a large power pack centrally on site then used specialist nozzles to produce a DRY FOG that adds less than 0.25% moisture to product.
SOLUTION 1 TRUCK RECEIVAL
The existing tipping receival pit to offload trucks to fill silos resulted in dust emissions to the air and local pollution. BWM engineers built a two-pronged solution — firstly a physical screen around the inlet and secondly dry fog bars mounted to the screen.
SOLUTION 2 TRUCK LOADING
Once a vessel is alongside, the grain needs to be transported to the quay for loading on a ship. Previously grain was discharged from silos and storage by belt conveyor into trailers creating dust. BWM engineers identified the source of the dust and fitted dry fog lances on a spray ring to the spout.
SOLUTION 3 HOPPER LOADING
When feeding material from storage the client used a front end loader to fill a hopper which generates a lot of dust. BWM fitted its dry fog spray bars to the hopper inlet reducing dust from operation to zero
An important part of the client’s operation is container stuffing of grain for export in containers. This is done using a belt conveyor into the container with one door closed and the other blocked with a plywood ¾ false wall. This resulted in dust emissions as can be seen.
BWM fitted dry fog spray bars to the loading station at an angle to best impact the dust particles and significantly reduce the dust emissions from the operation.
Gibbons Engineering Group has been trading since 1969, originally as a rewinds and repairs workshop. Since then the business has grown to incorporate 12 different divisions, one of which is the agricultural services and products. After the end, in 2017, of its 25-year relationship with a company that resold its Steel and Aluminium Agricultural Grain Cooling fans, Gibbons Engineering Group decided to sell directly to farmers and distributors across the entire UK and throughout Europe. It also rebranded the agricultural business as Plug&Cool, which has its own dedicated ecommerce website.
Plug&Cool is growing in stature year by year and is supported by a strong sales and marketing team. With direct sales to the farmer through the online store, the company’s presence in the market is growing year by year. After manufacturing grain conditioning fans for so many years, Gibbons Engineering Group is also expanding the product range for Plug&Cool. It now offers a complete grain cooling solution that includes grain cooling fans, poly pedestals, control panels, aeration
spears and accessories like extension leads and DOL (direct on line) starters.
The poly pedestals are one of the bestselling products as farmers install them in their empty grain stores just before harvest. Once the pedestals are in place, the grain can be tipped into the grain store around the pedestals, and then an aluminium or steel grain cooling fan can be
placed on top. When the fan is switched on, the centrifugal fan is rotated by the motor on top, draws hot air from inside the grain pile, and expels it through the gable end fans at the far end of the grain store.
To accompany the fans and pedestals and aeration spears, Gibbons Engineering Group also manufactures the Multizone control panel. This is designed and manufactured by the team of in-house electricians. The control panel is basically used to keep the grain at the desired temperature and it does this using sensor probes inserted into the grain. When the grain becomes too hot, the sensors will talk to the control panel and automatically switch on the fans. And when the grain is at the correct temperature, the fans will automatically switch off, saving farmers time and money.
Gibbons Engineering Group is actively promoting its Plug&Cool brand, with magazine exposure and will this year make its debut at Agritechnica in Hannover, Germany, in November. It also regularly exhibits at events including SIMA in Paris and LAMMA Show and Cereals event.
Bruks Siwertell has secured an order from Senegal Minergy Port SA (SMP) for a highcapacity grain handling Siwertell ship unloader for a new port development, Bargny-Sendou, located near Dakar, Senegal, west Africa.
SMP has been established to undertake the development of the bulk facility, which will be the largest and most sophisticated of its kind in west Africa. The contractor made its analysis for selecting which dry bulk handling system to invest in based on three factors: unloading capacity; unloading efficiency; and environmental impact.
“SMP is a new customer, but was aware of Bruks Siwertell’s reputation for delivering world-class dry bulk material handling assets, which are efficient, costeffective and environmentally friendly,” notes Bertil Andersson, Sales Manager, Bruks Siwertell.
“Grain is the third largest cargo that our machines handle, amounting to around 600mt (million metric tonnes) every year, so we understand what it takes to ensure the quality of grain shipments and meet high-demand, high-capacity import requirements,” continues Andersson.
“So far, we have been very impressed with Bruks Siwertell’s work,” says Alexander Zalocosta, CFO, SMP. “As well as being technical leaders in the dry bulk handling
industry, the project team has been extremely personable throughout the process, showing keen attention to detail and professional rigour, which is second to none.
“Understanding that the success of any ship unloader will depend on the overall efficiency of the port’s dry bulk material handling system, Bruks Siwertell’s team has taken a hands-on approach to all elements, not just the unloader. This has been extremely useful to us, particularly given how important the successful integration of all elements of the port’s material handling system is,” adds Zalocosta.
In addition to minimizing any material degradation in grain handling, the low weight of Siwertell technology also ensures specific advantages to this new port development.The Siwertell 640 M-type ship unloader will be installed on a jetty 1,500m from the shore, and so minimizing infrastructure weight, reduces the cost of jetty construction.
Around 90% of Senegal’s trade comes through its current Atlantic Ocean port, the Autonomous Port of Dakar. Growing import and export demands has outstripped the port’s capacity and Senegal urgently needs to address this issue.
SMP is looking for the new port to improve environmental protection and act as a major hub for global trade, not only as
a gateway to Senegal and its neighbouring countries, but as a hub for the wider west African region as well. Bargny-Sendou will have an initial capacity of 20mt, and will handle 15mt of commodities in its first year of operation.
The totally enclosed unloader will have a continuous rated grain handling capacity of 1,200 tonnes per hour, and ensure spillage-free operations with minimal dust emissions. It will be assembled on site under Bruks Siwertell supervision and is planned to commence operations in mid2024. The unloader is being financed by the Swedish Export Credit Agency (EKN) and the Swedish Export Credit Corporation (SEK), which only invests in environmentally sustainable enterprises.
Bruks Siwertell is a prominent supplier of dry bulk handling and wood processing systems. The company designs, produces and delivers systems for loading, unloading, conveying, storing, and stacking and reclaiming dry bulk materials, alongside equipment for chipping, screening, milling and processing wood for the biofuel, board, saw mill, pulp and paper industries. All equipment is designed to ensure environmentally friendly and efficient operations.
ICCE is a turnkey electrical engineering company. The company’s in-house capability allows it to offer a single source solution under its complete control. ICCE provides automation of complete systems or individual machines for bulk material handling. The complete solutions for bulk material handling include engineering, equipment, software, commissioning, and start-up.
Both the expenditure and the promptness of installation are frequently critical factors for a successful investment. ICCE has well-co-ordinated team that follows the complete life cycle of the project — from the bidding phase to commissioning. This results in a very efficient delivery of the project.
ICCE supplies electrical equipment such as: MV&LV equipment, control systems, MCC panels, panels for local operation, sensors as well as sound and light-signalling equipment. The equipment is delivered in electrical cabinets, factory assembled, wired, and pre-tested. When required by the special site conditions, or when it is necessary to ensure quick installation on the site, ICCE delivers the electrical equipment mounted in a specially designed E-House, equipped with air conditioning and heating, for installation in an open space
ICCE has been operating in the bulk
handling industry for over 30 years, providing solutions for grain and other commodities. The company’s initial endeavours were associated with supplying electrical equipment and automation systems for the concrete silos. Accumulated knowledge and vast experience enable ICCE to respond even the most complex demands of its customers. The range of facilities that it has completed ranges from inland silos with a capacity of 10,000 tonnes to large terminals with an annual capacity of over 10mt (million tonnes).
In the last 15 years, ICCE has been one of the most prominent companies in the automation of grain terminals. Just in the Black Sea region, ICCE has automated five large terminals with a handling capacity of over 30mt annually. Additionally, a large number of projects were carried out in Southeast Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
What sets ICCE apart from the competition is the concept of an Automated Bulk Terminal. The concept integrates several subsystems under one roof: Power Supply, Motor Control Centre,
Control, Management and Traffic Control system. The advantage of this solution is that each subsystem can operate independently or completely integrated.
One of the most recent projects where this system was integrated was the project in the port of Vysotsk, developed in 2021. The total annual capacity of the terminal is 4mt. Besides the Motor Control Centre and Control System, scope included the Terminal Management and Traffic Control System.
Terminal Management System is a powerful software for real-time management of terminal operations. The software integrates commercial departments, scales, laboratories, technologists, control systems, and terminal management. It provides precise control of reception, condition, and delivery of goods. Additionally, it allows the management team to choose the calculation method for
the official quantities. This is either based on documents, measurement on scales, or its combination. The Terminal Management System provides fast and simple invoicing of terminal services.
In large terminals, traffic congestion imposes a big challenge, especially during the truck reception of the grain. The problem occurs both at the terminal itself and on the access roads. This causes an increased air pollution, slower reception of the goods, as well as dissatisfaction within the local community.
The Traffic Control System is an intelligent solution for traffic control within the terminal. The system ensures safe and continuous traffic flow of vehicles. It consists of: mobile app identification system; v vehicle licence plate recognition v system; radio frequency identification system; v
v equipment; and intercom system.
vehicle signalling and routing
v
Besides solutions for grain terminals, ICCE offers complete electrical and automation systems for a wide range of bulk-handling machines. The company can develop unique machines where off-the-shelf equipment is not suitable.
ICCE’s portfolio of machines includes shiploaders/unloaders, stackers/reclaimers, and bucketwheel excavators. Its scope consists of:
v e-houses & operator cabins;
electrical engineering;
v motor control centres;
v control systems;
v instrumentation;
v general installation;
v cable & cable tray; and
v
v commissioning & start-up.
For the past 20 years the DSH dust suppression hopper has been a game changer in the dry bulk goods industry. When specified and installed correctly it offers a trouble-free, low cost, low dust solution for many years, and DSH’s wide range of hopper systems are perfectly suited to the grain industry, as well as huge
number of other materials. Available around the world, DSH systems are developed with site specific needs in mind and can be easily integrated into existing facilities with minimal disruption.
WHY CHOOSE A DSH SYSTEM?
Where free-falling loose products from
conveyors or chutes create great quantities of dust through dispersion, the design of the DSH hopper naturally forces the product to form a tight compact column as it exits the unit. This column, which can be as tall as 20 metres (65ft), is almost completely free of air, so that when the product reaches the ground, ship, or other
receptacle there is very little dust dissipated as the product drives into the pile below.
Where standard practice is to use costly extraction systems or mitigation devices to minimize product dispersion and dust, the DSH hopper system eliminates the need for these potentially costly, high maintenance systems and requires no services (electricity, pneumatics, or hydraulics) to function. In conjunction with these capabilities, it is also very safe to use, because it has very few parts as it is operated by springs, which balance the flow rate in and out via the weight of the product in the hopper.
DSH’s hopper systems can be installed to suit a wide range of products and loading methods, with larger hopper systems for the loading of ships, barges, trucks, rail cars and silos as well as systems for containers, stockpiles, bags.
The hopper systems have been successfully tested and used for a huge number of grains and feeds, including feed, malt and pallet varieties of barley, corn, maize, oats, soya and many more.
DSH Hopper systems have been installed in thousands of sites in over 70 countries around the world, and each hopper is specifically designed for each individual site to overcome any physical, technical, or mechanical site variations. Available in multiple sizes and materials including Polyethylene, Stainless, Corten and Hardox steel, a single hopper can transfer between 2–3,500 tonnes per hour, depending on the product and application, and the compact and virtually dust free delivery of media into transport and ground storage applications can result in an increase of up to 10% in bulk density.
DSH’s hopper system is the brainchild of Trevor Schwass, who almost 20 years ago
was working as a site engineer at a fertilizer plant in Napier, New Zealand. He was asked by the site manager to see if there was a way of eliminating the huge amounts of dust in the bulk store and loading sheds, and thus, the first DSH hopper was conceived, built, and installed at the site. The DSH hopper that Schwass originally designed and built in his small shed has since grown and can now be found throughout the world.
With its global distribution network and
award-winning products, DSH Systems prides itself on offering superior support and works closely with its customers to develop the very best hopper system to suit their needs.
Reduces dust by up to 95% depending v on the grain. Can drop product through mid-air up v to 20 metres (65ft).
Loads denser, more compact product. v Near-zero maintenance and easy to v clean.
Variety of mounting solutions of v different shapes and sizes.
Range of sizes for different flow rates v and applications, from mini hoppers to large ship loading, fully encapsulated hoppers to mount on the end of telescopic chutes. Optional covers for the elimination of v entry dust and overspill. No requirements for electricity v removing potential spark hazards. Safety backup chains provide extra v safety in the rare event of a spring failure and static electricity earth straps can help minimize the risk of dust explosions.
The Apollo VTS division of the Royal Apollo Group is a highly respected supplier of vertical conveying systems. Part of its vertical conveying systems are its renowned Bucket Elevators. Every Bucket Elevator is designed according to the company’s proven reliable technology, while offering many features, benefits and flexibility.
This conveyor has the benefit of combining both horizontal and vertical bulk transport in one machine. Users can replace the cumbersome combination of separate belt conveyors and basic bucket elevators with just one Apollo bucket elevator solution, saving on initial investment as well on integration and maintenance costs. Additionally, having no discharge from the bucket elevator onto the conveyor belt lowers dust levels and related pollution, which leads to a cleaner working environment.
The bucket elevator specializes in handling irregular shaped items, as well as particulate or granular products such as grain or seed. They can be installed as a stand-alone unit, or as a part of a total solution, linking other bulk material handling machines. Apollo guarantees a high degree of durability, low noise and low power consumption in its conveying operations.
A unique feature is that incoming product can be fed continuously into the pendulum bucket elevator, which saves the need for an additional dosing system to feed the elevator. The edges of the buckets overlap in the inlet section which avoids that product falls through, which helps to prevent spillage. The buckets also have a pivotal mounting in the chain which maintains their horizontal position
throughout the conveyor route before they are finally tilted when the buckets reach the outlet(s).
The Bucket Elevators are very well suited for a broad range of bulk products in the food, agriculture, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, chemical, ceramic, glass, recycling, building and metallurgy industries and other materials requiring gentle handling.
In addition, seeds with a high content of oil such as rapeseed, poppy seed, soybeans, and sunflower seeds might cause a thin layer of fatty pollution on equipment and eventually affect the seed quality. Apollo pendulum bucket elevators can be equipment with in-line washing and drying modules to ensure optimal product quality.
Bodies like the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) continuously sharpen food safety regulations across various sectors. FDA regulations and the European CE1935/2007 do stipulate that any migration of material which is in direct contact with food should be reduced to a minimum. This kind of legislation is gradually seen across the agricultural sector and often equipment has to comply with these standards. Apollo’s bucket elevators comply with all of these stated regulations.
Apollo keeps adapting to new market trends and expanding into new markets. It recently became active in new fast-growing markets such as oilseeds, coffee, and wood pellets. Besides listening to the market, it
also thinks ahead and takes action, listening to its customers and responding to them. An example of this is the new development of the external discharge station. Previously, the moving parts of this discharge station were located inside the Bucket Elevator. The result was that after a few months wear and tear on the bearings attached to the discharge station could develop, prompting possible replacement. Apollo now has a sustainable solution; to place these moving parts from the loose skate to the outside.
The company’s story has humble beginnings in 1847. The first generations of Van den Pol always considered entrepreneurship to be of paramount importance. Nowadays, standing on the shoulders of her ancestors, Claudia is the sixth generation of the Van den Pol family. Last year, Royal Apollo was awarded ‘the crown on our work’, the status of a Royal title, granted by the King of the Netherlands himself. The predicate announces an acknowledgement for having a good reputation and symbolizes the respect, valuation, and trust of the King. An impeccable reputation and financial stability are mandatory to receive this honour.
Royal Apollo’s people show the joy, passion and expertise to develop the best machines and deliver excellent service globally. Everybody knows the direction of the company and the goals that have been set. Everybody in his or her own way is actively contributing towards reaching these goals.
RESULT- AND QUALITY DRIVEN
Apollo is a company that can solve logistic challenges. It brings 176 years of experience. This is carried by its people, its vibe, its outstanding service and its innovative atmosphere. All Apollo machines are built with the greatest attention to quality standards.
The company feels like a playground. Employees can make mistakes, be open and vulnerable while at the same time, the energy is exciting, joyful and innovative.
Every day Royal Apollo strives to develop and deliver products and services that help its customers grow. Because standing still takes you nowhere, it might even move you backwards.
This is especially true when it comes to the production lines of the company’s customers.
APOLLO CUSTOMERS BENEFIT FROM 176 years of experience; v customized solutions to suit specific v requirements;
instant remote support service v ‘APOLLO Assists’; stock of standard components for fast v delivery;
extensive range of accessories; v global representation relying on the v company’s global customer support offices and service organization.
PSB Inspection was founded by Peter Bagchus as a 100% private enterprise in 2016, and has been fully operational since 1 February 2017. The company operates from its head office in Vlaardingen (Rotterdam port area). It has highly qualified and experienced senior surveyors and an experienced sampling preparation team. PSB Inspection runs its own laboratory with highly qualified and experienced laboratory technicians which is all managed by the operational team in close conjunction with the management team members, who have been active in this type of business for decades.
Currently, PSB Inspection focuses primarily on coal and coal-related products. However, bearing in mind that the world — and the energy market — is changing vastly and rapidly, it is also working hard to expand into markets such as agri-bulk, biomass, minerals and metals, which are under development in different phases.
PSB Inspection is convinced it is important to follow the market and consequently to continuously diversify its product flows and expand its service portfolio in line with the requirements of its customer base. That is why the company is currently expanding its portfolio with agri-bulk services, a vital commodity in the bulk handling market.
PSB Inspection started this expansion by obtaining the right product knowledge and what is required in its own laboratories. This was done through its team of surveyors plus a (commercial) cooperation with a consultant with a
“lifetime” experience in this market. In close cooperation with this specialist in this cargo segment, PSB Inspection is prepared, the market is explored, and employees are trained.
All of this took place with a clear eye on high quality services in the field of inspection, sampling, sample preparation, analytical services and weight ascertainment required by PSB Inspection’s
customer base, coordinated from its head office, under the applicable ISO standards 9001 and 17025. Currently, PSB Inspection is working on receiving the right accreditations for agri-bulk services, including the right memberships (ISO 17020 and membership to GAFTA – Grain & Feed Trade Association). In addition, PSB Inspection also uses its own internal quality procedures preparatory to and during the expanding of its service portfolio. The company not only offers its services in Europe, but also in various other countries (Turkey, USA, South Africa — and expanding on that continent to other countries, LATAM and the UK). The company is currently expanding its country portfolio as well.
Spraystream fog cannons have become increasingly popular in recent years due to their effectiveness in suppressing dust and reducing fire risk in grain handling applications. The Spraystream machines emit a fine mist of water droplets that can capture dust particles and prevent them from becoming airborne, which is especially important in industries where dust is a significant hazard.
Grain handling facilities, in particular, can benefit greatly from the use of fog cannons. These facilities handle large volumes of grain, which can produce a significant amount of dust during the handling process. This dust can be a major health hazard for workers and can also create a risk of explosions and fires. In addition, the dust can settle on equipment and machinery, causing them to malfunction or break down.
By using fog cannons, grain handling facilities can significantly reduce the amount of dust in the air, creating a safer and healthier environment for workers. Spraystream cannons can also reduce the risk of fires and explosions by preventing dust from accumulating on surfaces and equipment.
The effectiveness of Spraystream cannons is due to the fact that they produce very small water droplets. These droplets are so small that they can float in the air and capture dust particles as they pass through. As the mist settles, it pulls the dust out of the air and onto the ground, where it can be easily cleaned up.
In addition to their dust suppression capabilities, Spraystream cannons can also be effective in reducing fire risk in grain handling facilities. Grain dust is highly combustible and can ignite very easily, leading to fires and explosions. By reducing the amount of dust in the air, Spraystream cannons can lower the risk of ignition and reduce the potential for fires.
Spraystream offers an extensive range of fog cannons with various options. These machines create a micro-droplet mist curtain with a range of up to 150 metres, in part thanks to the use of high-quality materials:
The patented cone shape is v aerodynamic and made from a
composite. This high-quality material creates lighter machines, has an attenuating effect, and has a lower risk of corrosion. The cone shape leads to a maximum range with a minimum capacity and water.
Spraystream also uses GRUNDFOS v maintenance-free pumps of the highest quality.
The intuitive machines are also very v easy to use and can be controlled remotely.
The Spraystream machines have a v default electrical oscillation and the fans can withstand high performances. The wind guides make sure that a v turbulent air flow is converted into a laminar air flow. This leads to minimum water flow losses and thus to more targeted and more efficient atomizing.
The atomizers can be replaced easily v because Spraystream uses rapid-lock systems.
Not every dust problem can be solved in the most efficient way with standard machines. That is why Spraystream also provides customized systems. This can range from minor adjustments to standard machines, or completely customized installations. This way, Spraystream can perfectly meet the customer’s needs and budget. A team of engineers has the knowledge and experience to develop custom-designed atomizing systems. An assembly and maintenance team ensures perfect installation and after-sales service
over the whole world through a dealer network.
In conclusion, Spraystream atomizing systems are an effective tool for reducing dust and fire risk in grain handling facilities. By emitting a fine mist of water droplets, they can capture dust particles and prevent them from becoming airborne, creating a safer and healthier environment for workers. They can also reduce the risk of fires and explosions by preventing dust from accumulating on surfaces and equipment.
When a dust problem can not be solved by a standard fog cannon, Spraystream can provide customized systems.
with track ropes. The belt, which transports the overburden, moves on these steel wire track ropes and the material can be transferred onto a second belt directly in the rope span. This second belt is reversible and therefore allows simultaneous conveying and emplacement activities. During the life of the operation, the RopeCon® track ropes will be periodically retensioned to allow the system to be lifted above the placed material. This ability to control the drop height minimizes the impact of noise and dust during the system’s operation.
This system is the first such installation
ROPECON®
This system transports bulk materials and unit loads of all kinds, crosses obstacles with ease and minimizes the structural footprint on the ground.
The systems effortlessly span precipices, cross obstacles and transport their load
safely and reliably, with no unnecessary detours.
The RopeCon® impresses with high availability, wind stability and its ability to cross high-density plant infrastructure without any problem.
HIGH-CAPACITY, MAINTENANCE-FRIENDLY CONVEYING SYSTEM FOR CHALLENGING TERRAIN
The RopeCon® combines proven ropeway engineering with continuous conveyor
technology. It transports the material on a flat belt with corrugated side walls. The belt performs the haulage function. It is fixed to axles with plastic running wheels at either end. These run on track ropes with fixed anchoring and guide the belt. As in the case of an aerial ropeway, the track ropes are elevated off the ground on tower structures.
ROPECON® FACTS & FIGURES
Perfect for challenging or v sensitive terrain.
Low emissions and low energy v consumption.
Transport capacities up to v 25,000 tonnes per hour. Material transport solution v with high availability.
Tower spacing up to 2,500m. v
Doppelmayr Transport Technology
GmbH is a 100% subsidiary of the international Doppelmayr Group with headquarters in Wolfurt, Austria. Within the group, Doppelmayr Transport Technology is the point of contact for the transport of goods and materials. Doppelmayr is a technology leader and pioneer in ropeway engineering and is also present in other lines of business. Apart from material transport systems the group also designs, plans, and manufactures passenger ropeways for winter and summer tourism as well as for the urban transit sector, rope-propelled APMs (e.g., the systems currently operating at the airports of Toronto and Mexico City) or fully automatic high-rise warehouses.
The global manufacturer of highperformance conveyor components has introduced a new standard in wear liner technology. The Manufactured Canoe Liner from Martin Engineering is made from durable urethane moulded around a rugged steel plate to absorb impact and abrasion from the punishing bulk handling environment. With the protective plate integrated directly into the urethane liner, the design delivers superior shielding of the skirt sealing system and chute wall from heavy, fast-moving cargo. The result is extended equipment life, longer periods of dust and spillage control, improved safety and less maintenance, reducing the overall cost of operation.
“This is a shift in the engineering and role of wear liners,” said Dave Mueller, Manager of Conveyor Products for Martin Engineering. “Like most conveyor components, the design has evolved into a component that is more effective, safer to maintain and more reliable.”
Previously, most wear liners were sheets of steel welded onto the internal chute wall of the conveyor loading zone. These protected the wall from the punishing effects of splashing, shifting and abrasive material. But since they are wear parts, periodic replacement of these early designs involved enclosed chute entry and hot work using a blow torch, which required certification and supervision, while running the risk of igniting explosive dust. The steel plates generally did not effectively protect the rubber skirt seal, leading to more frequent skirt replacements. Moreover, the wear liner’s position often left a gap between the liner and the skirting, which captured small lumps of material that could damage the
belt. These design issues resulted in excessive downtime, premature equipment replacement and extra labour to monitor and maintain.
The Martin Manufactured Canoe Liner is an engineered urethane strip moulded directly around a protective steel plate. The unique approach avoids the bonding issues common to previous designs, preventing urethane separation from the plate that could damage the belt and enclosure.
Each section has a series of 2 inch (51mm) long bracket holes for vertical adjustment. The bottom “belt side” of the liner is cut to an optional 20º, 35º, or 45º angle to maximize belt sealing and protect the softer material of the skirt seal from premature wear. Depending on the weight and abrasiveness of the conveyed material, customers can choose a urethane thickness of 1.3-2 inches (33-5mm).
Delivered in storable cartridges 48 inches (1,219mm) in length, the units can be cut on site to match the needs of the chute. The cartridges can also be installed vertically on top of one another to accommodate taller chute walls or raised enclosures. Like the lower
sections, the upper units can be adjusted as well.
As material gradually erodes the Manufactured Canoe Liner, the bottom trough angle continues to protect the skirting. If there are significant gaps between the belt and liner, each individual cartridge can be adjusted by a single technician using a socket wrench. Replacement is easy by simply removing the worn units, mounting each new cartridge, and cutting the end piece to fit. This reduces what used to be a one or two day job to one to two hours.
“Martin is constantly seeking to innovate every aspect of the bulk handling process with the goal of making it safer, more effective and easier to maintain,” said Mueller. “The introduction of the Manufactured Canoe Liner achieves our objectives by improving efficiency and lowering the cost of operation.”
TAM Engineering (TAM), based in Gijón, Northern Spain (Asturias), specializes in turnkey projects, including the design, manufacture, assembly and commissioning of equipment — including conveyors — for the reception, transport and storage of solid bulk and other materials.
In all its projects, TAM can call on the expertise it has acquired after over four decades of activity, offering solutions to the needs of relevant industrial and energy companies from numerous countries for bulk handling processes.
Along with the design of products such as belt conveyors, chain conveyors, screw conveyors, reception hoppers, truck unloading stations, bucket elevators, silos and storage hoppers, the Spanish company carries out projects where innovation and technological integration provide solutions that are unique for material transport processes, adapting to the technical, environmental or other requirements of each facility.
Likewise, the company integrates different storage solutions into its projects, such as silos, under the FIFO (first-in, firstout) philosophy, guaranteeing that the oldest stored materials are the first to be extracted. To this end, TAM has its own technology for different extraction systems, such as rotary or sliding floor systems, capable of adapting to each circumstance and type of material, allowing adequate and controlled unloading of the stored material.
Its experience and capacity for innovation allow it to offer integral solutions for the different automation needs required by its clients, depending on the material to be handled, the available
space and the particular needs of the process. TAM’s core business is with port terminals, power plants, cement plants and wastewater treatment plants. The company has a clear international vocation for its business.
During the last few years, TAM has carried out relevant projects in Europe, Latin America, Asia and Africa, standing out for its ability to offer innovative, durable and safe solutions, which has allowed it to gain the trust of companies such as ERSHIP, PHB Weserhütte (TSK Group), Acciona, Alstom, Endesa, Sener, Elecnor, Cemex, Dragados, Duro Felguera, ENCE, Suez, Toro and Betolaza, FCC, with many of them repeat customers.
The company’s references include: a lime plant for Aceros de Arequipa in Peru, currently being constructed; the design, manufacturing, assembly supervision and start-up of the bagasse boiler storage and feed park carried out for San Pedro Bioenergy at the San Pedro de Macorís biomass plant (Dominican Republic); the facilities for bagasse handling, filter cake handling and fly ash collection for bioenergy in Puerto López (Colombia); projects for GESTAMP in the biomass plants built by ELECNOR in Viseu and Fundão (Portugal) — including the design, construction, transportation, assembly, testing, and commissioning of the slag and fly ash transportation systems; the installation of more than 200 dehydrated sludge silos in wastewater treatment stations in Spain and Portugal; the design, manufacture and supply of two silos equipped with a 60m³/h rotary extractor system for the storage and dosing of coal and asphaltene with a 2,500m³ capacity for
the Kilpilahti thermal power plant (Finland); the design, manufacture and supply of two lime dosing stations, with a storage capacity of 40m³ and a dosing capacity of up to 2.5tph (tonnes per hour), for the Jorf Lasfar OCP plant; the project for Acciona AguaBesix JV at the DEWA plant in Dubai (UEA) which includes the engineering, manufacturing and supply of four rotary extraction systems for four dehydrated sludge silos with a storage capacity of 150m³ and with a capacity extraction up to 40 m³/h; the supply for PHB Weserhütte (TSK Group) of conveyor belts and their structures for a sugar plant in Tanzania, as well as a project executed for Alstom, at the Endesa thermal power plant in As Pontes (Galicia-Spain), for which TAM developed the design, construction, transportation and supply of a gypsum handling facility.
TAM has just completed work at the Port of Escombreras, in Cartagena (Spain), the largest project executed in its more than 40 years of experience, carried out in a 50% joint venture with the company PHB Weserhütte. This is the mechanization for the unloading of ships and filling of the Ership Group storage warehouses in said port area, and which is complemented by a second phase which is already under way.
In this way, Cartagena will become a benchmark for the unloading of agri-food products in the Iberian Peninsula, both in terms of capacity and yield.
The EPC project for a complete facility for the collection and transport of 2,000tph of cereal from ship to its storage in two warehouses in the south dock of the port of Cartagena began operations in 2022.
Bruks Siwertell offers one of the most comprehensive ranges of conveyors on the market — from traditional belt and idler configurations and unique horizontal and vertical screw conveyors, to state-of-theart, extremely efficient air-supported, low friction belt technology.
Industry-leading innovations ensure that the company’s conveyors consistently deliver smooth, safe, continuous material flows for minimal operating and maintenance costs.
When extremely clean, dust-free operations are required, the conveyors can be totally or partially enclosed to ensure maximum environmental protection. They can be configured to meet every requirement and can carry virtually any dry bulk material from low to very high capacities.
Worldwide, Bruks Siwertell’s conveying systems secure the efficiency of dry bulk material handling facilities, including ultralarge power-generation plants that demand some of the largest volumes of material in the World.
Bruks Siwertell offers two well-proven and patented air supported belt conveyors, The Belt Conveyor and Tubulator.
Bruks Siwertell has innovatively combined the use of air-cushion technology with its standard belt conveyors to create The Belt Conveyor. Customers can now benefit from a high-capacity conveying system that offers minimal equipment wear and very low operating costs as a result of reduced friction in the conveying line.
Like the Tubulator, the air-supported belt conveyor has a totally enclosed design that protects the environment from dust emissions and reduces any material losses to a minimum. The Belt Conveyor uses a formed pan to support the belt, with a fully flanged cover over it to make it dust tight. The belt can comfortably conform to the profile provided by the pan without the added stretching needed to travel through a pipe.
The shape of the pan also mimics the geometry of a 35° idler conveyor, but without the rollers, therefore it still meets the industry-standard calculations for the USA’s Conveyors Equipment Manufacturers Association (CEMA).
The magic of the air-supported belt
conveyor is in the way the air is delivered to support the belt. Each 3m section has access to a common header of pressurized air with air pressure sensors and flow meters installed to monitor it. Under the carry-side pan, is a corresponding 3m-long pressurized air enclosure system, otherwise known as a plenum, which delivers air through holes at just the right pressure and airflow to lift the belt for essentially frictionless travel.
Independent plenums of air can be individually set for each installation, matching the delivery of air for each application precisely and accurately. This patented air delivery method allows the Bruks air-supported belt conveyor to carry a wide variety of materials with diverse physical properties.
The air-supported belt conveyor offers a smooth ride surface, eliminating the bumpiness characterized by traditional idler-supported belt conveyors. Therefore,
material is discharged in exactly the same condition as when it was loaded onto the belt.
The system uses a modular design. Its 3m sections consisting of carry side pan, return side pan or rollers, covers, air supplies and supporting structures, form the basis of the conveyor.
Common to all belt conveying methods, the head section contains the drive unit as well as multiple belt scrapers and cleaners. Depending on application requirements, the tail section can have impact beds or plates.
In compliance with CEMA guidelines, tensioning on short belts is achieved by screw adjustment and gravity take-ups for longer conveyors.
Typical belt conveyor third-party components like weigh scales, metal detectors, magnets, and material sensor areas, for analysing moisture content, for example, can all be accommodated.
Nothing should stand in the way of your productivity – least of all the materials you move. With our compact Hägglunds direct drive systems, you can adapt easily to the job at hand, taking advantage of full torque at an in昀nite range of speeds. And should an overload try to stop you, the drives’ low moment of inertia and quick response will keep your machines protected. We’ll support you too, with an agile global network and smart connectivity to bring you peace of mind. Driven to the core.
Hägglunds is a brand of Rexroth. www.hagglunds.com
For operators looking for high-capacity, lighter-density dry bulk material conveying, the Bruks TubulatorTM is a very costeffective option. It is especially well-suited for long distances, up to 600m and for high overhead installations.
With more than 700 installations worldwide and over 30 years of proven operational performance, even in extremely low-temperature environments, the Tubulator has developed into the smartest conveying system on the market.
On a belt width-for-width basis, the Tubulator achieves capacities up to 40% higher than comparable conventional idler belt conveyors at low energy consumption levels and is ideal for transporting wood chips, sawdust, bark, pellets and other lowdensity bulk materials.
As well as its very quiet operating profile and low energy demands, the Tubulator conveyor is totally enclosed. This ensures that it meets the highest environmental protection standards and eliminates material losses from the conveying line.
The easy-to-install conveyor system consists of a drive unit, tail end and the required number of intermediate flanged 6m or 12m pre-assembled modular sections, which are simple to connect. This ensures that it can be customized to suit a huge variety of specific applications from conveying lengths of 20m to 500m.
The conveyor has a free-span of up to 80m when using cable towers, or up to 30m between standard supports, and is self-supporting up to 25m.
The Tubulator comes in two basic forms: one is totally enclosed on the
transport and return sides using an air carry return (ACR). In this version the return belt is supported on a cushion of air provided by a separate blower. The second alternative design uses rollers with 3m spacing to support the return side belt, or roller carry return (RCR).
The Bruks Tubulator has very low operating and maintenance costs. These are largely due to the fact that the belt runs on a cushion of pressurized air, which reduces frictional forces to a minimum. This has a positive impact on wear parts, and eliminates idlers, which have their own maintenance requirements, in the conveying trough.
The low-friction air-cushion technology has low power-consumption demands, which reduces operating costs. Its no-load power requirement is much lower than conventional belt conveyors.
For most dry cargo operators, conveyors play an indispensable role in which reliability is paramount. They can also be a considerable overhead. The conveyor belt market is extremely competitive, something signified by huge variations in the selling price of belts that are supposedly the same specification. No matter what price you pay, it is the reliability and longevity of your conveyor belts that will actually dictate how much they cost. So, are you getting the best value for money and are you losing output due to unplanned stoppages? In this special feature, conveyor belt specialist Leslie David explains the most effective way of evaluating conveyor belt cost-efficiency.
It is fair to say that the ‘headline price’ of an item usually has the biggest influence on the purchasing decisions we make both in our
business and personal lives. In our private life, it is usually simply a question of “Can I afford it?” but in business it is most often budgetary constraints that come first
considerations. However, buying something because it is ‘competitively priced’ but which then proves to be unreliable and/or wears out too quickly can be a very costly mistake.
To calculate the true cost to a business, and certainly when buying complex and vitally important components such as conveyer belts, it is first necessary to include as many other directly related costs as possible. The ‘above the line’ price that you pay for a conveyor belt is one thing but the perhaps less obvious ‘below the line’, costs are what your company will actually spend. People who are responsible for conveyors will probably know how much has been lost in terms of volume when there is an unplanned stoppage but is the cost of that lost output being measured and used to make buying decisions?
Although they may outwardly look the same, there often huge differences between the performance of one conveyor belt and another, even when they both claim to meet a certain specification and international standards of quality. Compared to other industries, conveyor belts used in the transshipment of dry cargo often need to deal with a wide crosssection of demands. There are numerous, well-documented reasons for these huge differences in performance and longevity but they are not always easy to spot at the buying stage.
Ironically, one of the best warning signs are the prices. The biggest source of rubber belting imported into Europe is from China, who now dominate the market. The approach they use for the conveyor belt market is the same as they use for virtually every other industrial market, which is mass volume manufacturing at barely acceptable (and often unacceptable) standards of quality at hugely subsidized prices.
It is not uncommon to see belts manufactured in South East Asia that are half the price of those being offered by European manufacturers. However, as with virtually any product, price ultimately determines the quality. In the case of imported conveyor belts, the difference in quality is invariably reflected in the need for repeated repairs and considerably shorter
operational lifetimes. Indeed, all the evidence points to top quality Europeanmade belts being able to provide up to four or five times longer operational life compared to their Asian counterparts. Their cost over their working life is therefore appreciably less.
Unfortunately, it is extremely rare for those who are responsible for purchasing and capital expenditure to understand the technical differences associated with the performance and longevity of a conveyor belt. Consequently, price is top of the buying criteria. To be fair, purchasing professionals cannot be an expert on every product they are required to source. Trying to convince them and the company
accountants that you want to use more reliable ‘higher priced’, premier quality belts can be extremely difficult. However, it becomes a whole lot easier if you speak a language they understand by presenting them with an argument that is based on factual, ‘whole life’ cost.
The principal of ‘whole life cost’ is simply the sum total cost (excluding VAT) of the conveyor belt itself plus the cost of its installation including splicing. Added to that should be the time spent removing and replacing the old belt before normal service can be resumed, which should be included as part of the ‘lost output’ calculations. The final part of the cost calculations are the labour and material costs incurred in repairing the belt (including the splice joints) during its lifetime plus the estimated costs of the production lost while those running repairs are carried out. These calculations are easier to make if conveyor maintenance and repair is contracted out to a vulcanizing company. However, if these functions are performed ‘in house’ then it is important that accurate maintenance records are kept.
A quick word here regarding outside contractors because many terminal operators outsource routine conveyor maintenance, repairs, splicing and belt fitting to external vulcanizing and maintenance
On the scrap heap after only 600 hours. There can be a very big difference between one conveyor belt and another.
companies. Such contracts usually include the supply of replacement components such as rollers and the conveyor belts themselves. Consequently, these contractors can have considerable influence on technical decisions including trialling a different belt or belt supplier. However, although it helps to reduce fixed overhead costs, outsourcing arrangements can also expose the site owners to potential waste and inefficiency.
If a contractor is charging for carrying out repairs and supplying replacement components then it is fair to argue that it is not necessarily in the best interests of that contractor to provide the most reliable and longest lasting equipment. This is because they are effectively being ‘rewarded’ for every repair, failed component and prematurely replaced conveyor belt. Supplying imported belting provides a much greater profit margin compared to higher grade, European-made belts with the added benefit of a much faster replacement cycle. In fact, there are many, myself included, who feel that this has been a key driver behind the ever-increasing use of low-priced, ‘throwaway’ imported belting. Ironically, this makes the case for making purchasing decisions based on whole life cost even stronger.
Having collated the various elements of cost, the final step is simply to divide the total. This can either be done by the period of time that the belt has run or, if known, the amount of material conveyed during its operational life. On conveyors that are usually running non-stop during the day then time is usually the best measure. However, if the conveyor only operates intermittently then using tonnage as the basis for the calculation may prove more accurate.
Having calculated the cost of a belt you are using or have finished using, the question then becomes one of comparison. It may well be that you have been shocked by the high level of costs involved, in which case it becomes easier to make the decision to try something different. Either way, there is little or no point in making the calculation unless you have something to compare it against. This, of course, means trialling a higher grade of belt or a different type of belt entirely, perhaps both.
Although manufacturers at the bottom
end of the market are plentiful, there are relatively few premium-grade European manufacturers to choose from. However, even at the ‘top end’ you still need to tread carefully because surprisingly, with only one exception, European manufacturers are now supplementing their production with imported belting. This means that you may inadvertently replace under-performing imported belt with a similarly poor standard imported belt, albeit from a different supplier. At the very least, always insist on a certificate of origin from the manufacturer when requesting quotations. A little research is also a good idea, especially checking a potential new supplier’s website for product data, specific performance claims, testimonials and case studies. Sometimes it is very easy to identify the true source of the product.”.
Without doubt, the most challenging aspect of selecting conveyor belts based on whole life cost is that it can be difficult to accurately predict the lifespan of a belt of a type or supplier that you may never have used before. As you would expect, suppliers of conveyor belts, regardless of their reputation for quality or otherwise, can never guarantee how long a belt will last before needing to be replaced. There are simply too many influencing factors. Do not let this put you off. Although there is inevitably some degree of risk in any business decision, if you choose a tried and trusted manufacturer, especially one actually manufacturing in Europe, then the
potential gains can be considerable. As the old saying goes, “If you never try something different then you will always get what you already have”.
As I mentioned earlier, it is not uncommon to see good quality Europeanmade belts provide up to four or five times longer operational life. For example, to quote one operations manager in Scotland, “We used to replace our belts every three to six months. Now it can be four or five years before we need to fit a replacement”. No doubt that the high-grade belt would have an appreciably bigger price tag. However, it is highly unlikely that it would have been 300 or 400% more expensive than its low-grade predecessor. When you add in the costs of regular repairs and replacements and the lost output that are also avoided then the savings can be dramatic.
In my experience, the best approach is to select the conveyor that has the highest frequency of repairs and replacements. The next step would then be to discuss the application and your requirements with an experienced representative of each potential supplier. If the conveyor you have chosen is particularly problematic then it is often a good idea to make absolutely sure that the specification of the belt is correct by using a belt calculation program overseen by a professional conveyor belt engineer.
For conveyors where damage caused by trapped foreign objects is a problem, fitting a conveyor belt that has been specifically engineered to resist such damage is
invariably the most costeffective solution. Specialist belts such as Dunlop UsFlex and Dunlop Ultra X will provide much longer lifetimes because that is exactly what they have been designed to do.
Thanks to technological advances, the effectiveness and value of modern-day conveyor belts should be measured over several years rather than just a year or two. In fact, in the dry cargo industry we are seeing more and more examples of belts that only last a few months and, in some cases, only a matter of weeks before needing to be replaced. My message to all conveyor operators is that you should never accept that it is not possible for a belt to last many times longer than is currently being achieved.
The decline in operational lifetime has been accompanied by the increased use of low-grade imported belting. Ironically, this actually strengthens the case for calculating the cost of conveyor belts on a ‘whole life’ basis rather than simply the ‘headline’ price. Although there will always be a desire to reduce expenditure, belts that need frequent replacement have exactly the opposite effect. Conveyor belts that will stand the test of time will invariably prove cheaper in the long run.
After spending 23 years in logistics management, Leslie David has specialized in conveyor belting for over 17 years. During that time, he has become one of the most published authors on conveyor belt technology in the world.
Kinder Australia’s K-Belt Jack provides a safe and efficient way to lift and stabilize tensioned conveyor belts in order to perform maintenance tasks. Any required maintenance to the underside of the belt can be carried out easily and safely with the assistance of K-Belt Jack.
Even when not in motion, a tensioned conveyor belt can pose a significant risk to operators if not supported correctly. With its 250kg working limit, the K-Belt Jack can make maintenance safe and secure. The specialized swivel arm adjusts to the troughing angle of the conveyor belt.
By using the K-Belt Jack, the life of a conveyor belt can be extended. When a belt is lifted and held properly during maintenance tasks, it is less likely to become damaged or worn, which can help to reduce the frequency of belt replacements and save on maintenance costs.
K-Belt Jack is compact, lightweight and transportable. It comes fully equipped and ready for use, complete with a custom-designed high grade carry bag. This not only enables easy transportation around the site, but also protects the tool from damage, wear and tear.
The team at Kinder Australia can discuss the various clamping options available and best ideas to suit a specific conveyor operation. Angle brackets or flat plate designs are offered in the range.
The addition of K-Belt Jack is worthwhile to any site with conveyors in operation. An efficient, controlled and accurate lift is sure to prolong belt life and ensure operator safety.
Superior Industries, Inc., a US-based manufacturer and global supplier of bulk material processing and handling systems, recently completed development of a brand new Modular Skirting System. The easy to install accessory controls dust and prevents spillage within conveyor load and transfer zones.
“Our crews visit and collect data from thousands of conveyor systems each year and we figure about half of them would benefit from material containment components,” says Paul D. Schmidgall, chief engineer in Superior’s conveyor components division. “That’s one out of every two conveyors spilling valuable material, spewing harmful dust, and creating unsafe work environments.”
The new Skirting System retrofits to any brand of existing structure with little or no field fabrication. Two sets of adjustable legs aid in this universal installation. Additionally, easy to adjust clamping mechanisms are used in place of nuts and bolts to hold skirtboard rubber tight against the belt. An optional stilling zone is available to accelerate the settling of dust while material is moving inside the system.
Superior’s Modular Skirting System is sold in 5-foot (1.5m) sections for conveyor
belt widths up to 72-inches (1,728mm).
From Rock Face to Load Out®, Superior Industries engineers and manufactures groundbreaking bulk material processing and handling equipment plus cutting-edge components.
The 50-year-old manufacturer supplies
bulk crushing, screening, washing and conveying systems plus all related parts and services for industries like aggregates and mining.
In addition to manufacturing from its hometown in Morris, Minnesota, USA, Superior operates three additional U.S. facilities, plus international factories in Brazil and China.
CST was founded in 1984 in response to a long-standing industry need for more accurate, reliable and durable in-motion weighing equipment. A key element of CST’s success has been its focus on developing the technology to bring high accuracy weighing technology to critical and high value material weighing applications. Consequently, CST has now developed a number of world firsts in belt weigher design.
While most competitors supply
CST’s revolutionary Wireless IntelliRoll Autonomous Weigh Roll Unit - a belt weigher inside a roller. The IntelliRoll continues to attract major attention. This ‘complete belt weigher in a roller’ is impressive — it looks just like a normal idler roll. Individual IntelliRolls can be used for accuracies in the order of 2–3%.
which will be used to log daily total production via a laptop. The other will be using IntelliRolls to monitor flow rates throughout the day using a WiFi network to the control room and an iPhone or Android device for viewing data in the plant.
So why is the IntelliRoll providing unique solutions, so much so that a large and wellknown chain of quarries has now started recommending them for many of its sites?
a single higher accuracy belt weigher.
weighers of the same design as 20 or 30 years ago, CST has developed belt weighers of the highest accuracy (±0.1%), self checking and internet-accessible weighers, and met the needs of applications at the low cost/low maintenance end of the scale…with the award-winning IntelliRoll.
This ‘complete belt weigher in a roller’ is impressive — it looks just like a normal idler roll. Individual IntelliRolls can be used for accuracies in the order of 2% to 5%, while multiple IntelliRolls can be configured together to become a single higher accuracy belt weigher. The wireless IntelliRoll autonomous weigh roll unit is bringing weighing capability to whole new markets in agriculture, waste management, quarrying and smaller mining operations as well as a new level of data gathering for process control in ore processing plants.
A recent trip to two quarries, one in NSW and one in QLD, revealed two different types of applications where the CST IntelliRoll provided low-cost and more effective solutions — as opposed to other weighing systems which had struggled to be reliable.
One quarry has invested into IntelliRolls
CTS’s WIM 3 Processing Electronics provides accurate and clear information through the its patent pending Calibration Dashboard — which allows maintenance features to be traffic lighted, accessed and addressed quickly. The RCS (Remote Care Service) addition allows certain maintenance procedures to be performed remotely by experts based at Sydney CST headquarters, no matter where in the world the site may be. The obvious cost and time saving results have made a notable impact.
The IntelliRoll provides low-cost and more effective solutions for a number of reasons. Being the shape and size of normal rollers, IntelliRoll can be slotted into a conveyor system with only minimal investment. One of the quarries mentioned manufactured its own idler frames to carry its IntelliRolls, though CST does also manufacture adapted idler frames for this purpose.
The low-cost IntelliRoll makes it a financial possibility for smaller plants. A group of IntelliRolls can be placed together in sequence to improve accuracy, or can be placed in varying areas of a plant to monitor and optimise processing. Many quarries use mobile equipment and could not power a traditional weightometer. IntelliRolls are fully self-contained, energy harvesting weighers that do not require wiring, making data collection available where it has not been practical before.
Accuracy and repeatability are two major factors in bulk weighing. Firstly, the weighing system must be accurate to within a certain acceptable percentage range — say ±5%. However, whilst in a test situation this may be achievable, it must also maintain repeatability under different conditions with a host of variables in the real world. The error range does not mean an IntelliRoll in a particular location will fluctuate from +5% to –5% and back . In a real world application, an IntelliRoll may read consistently +3% for example, fluctuating ±0.4% Therefore a process
change of say –0.6% may be clearly noticeable.
If the weighing system is stable, even with some systematic accuracy offset that is predictable, that error can be corrected or allowed for. If systematic accuracy varies, and there is no repeatability, then results of whatever is weighed are constantly plagued by random error. This is where other systems such as front-end loader bucket weighing approaches really struggle in the real world. A particular system with claimed high accuracy may look good in a controlled environment, but
World patents pending - CST’s CSRR design gives the highest possible accuracy for a beltweigher system anywhere in the world.
Non-Intrusive Weigh Frames.
CST’s Non-Intrusive variant is a weightometer that can be installed to a conveyor without the need for modification of the conveyor structure.
without repeatability in a real situation with all the variables, the random error is just too large.
Quarries are finding that the ease of capturing either continuous real time data or else reliable end-of-day summaries makes life easier for machine operators, and ensures that counting the number of bucket scoops, no matter how accurately they are measured, becomes a thing of the past.
In these scenarios, the IntelliRoll is champion, with a typical accuracy of +/-2 to 5% or better with live load factoring, and static repeatability within 0.1% with a very stable zero. This high level of consistency and reliability means you can plan for any systematic accuracy errors, thus reducing unknown error which would otherwise amount to massive discrepancies in result.
For many reasons, the IntelliRoll has provided low-cost weighing solutions previously unachievable for quarries and a host of other industry applications. Find out more today.
CST continues to provide innovative products and services for a variety of bulk in-motion weighing purposes. Readers can subscribe to the company newsletter at the website.
Volumetric Scanner.
Fully developed real time laser scanning system used for volumetric measuring and/or movement monitoring.
Quality: ISO 9001 Quality Assurance SGS Trade Certification v Australia NMI/OIML Class 0.5 Instrument (0.25% Certificate No. v 6/14D/13 (1997).
Canada (0.5% AM-5382C and Canadian 0.1% Approval No. AM-5612 v (June 2007).
USA, National Type Evaluation Program (NTEP) Certificate of v Conformity (0.25%) 02-135A3 (2002).
European Union, OIML Certificate R50/1997-AU1-03.01 as Class 0.5 v instrument.
NWML EC Directive 2004/22/EC, Certificate-UK/0126/0084.
Sustainability by innovation – this motto drives the team at Schulte Strathaus every day. The company goes one decisive step further and develops products that provide sustainable solutions and add real value.
STARCLEAN® is known in the conveyor technology field, because ever more problem solvers and innovations are being developed. There’s good reason why customers are enthusiastic and value the scraper and its tool-free maintenance.
Now there’s a product innovation that takes spillage control to a whole new level:
STARCLEAN® Smart Scraper S3 is a new intelligent scraper that combines with our proven electric drive and smart modules to detect conveyor belt damage early and allow preventative repair of segments. This saves material resources and ensures the belt system’s performance.
This modern technology is based on advanced, touch-based scanning that allows analysis of the movement and surface structure of the belt to detect possible damage. It allows reaction before the production process is seriously impaired.
The following damage is easily detected: cover plate damage; connection damage, punctures; repair damage; and belt slits (partial).
The scrapers can be folded in and out using an electric linear drive.
v damage limitation;
continuous inspection;
v efficient use of resources;
v improved operating reliability;
v prevention of unplanned conveyor
v downtime; and
v
transparent data assessment.
This is made possible by the perfect interplay of Schulte Strathaus’s existing and new modules. The advantage of the system is installation of conveyor belt monitoring on any conveyor in the bulk goods sector with relatively little cost and effort.
v motorization set with S3 sensor
Scraper Intelligence Module (SIM);
v system;
v and scrapers.
measuring roller with sensor system;
v
One highlight of the innovation is the newly developed STARCLEAN® Cloud,
with a user-friendly dashboard. This is where all the assembled data appear, such as km per operating hour, condition of the scrapers, and a wear display.
In addition to monitoring, the Cloud provides intervention in the system components.
The Scraper Intelligence Module (SIM) is the heart of the STARCLEAN® Smart Scraper, and automatically controls the components, and passes the captured data to the Cloud. This allows monitoring of the whole process.
The S3 sensor system recognizes belt properties thanks to scrapers lying directly on the conveyor belt and detects all damage events. It is possible at any time to see an update of the belt profile, observe the damage/profile, and individually set the damage level.
The measuring roller detects conveyor direction, position, belt length and speed. This also ensures precise localization of the damage.
Detection of movement direction is especially important with reversible belts, because the scrapers can be folded in or out automatically using Schulte Strathaus’s motorization set.
All data become visible in the company’s Cloud, in which the customer can monitor the system and step in as soon as an issue occurs. This means that, depending on the
damage level, STARCLEAN® S3 can take action independently or even initiate an emergency stop of the belt system. The customer can specify the function.
continuous conveyor belt monitoring; v damage classification; v definition of internal damage level; v action if belt is damaged (swing away v scraper, send messages, alarm – the customer determines the function);
detection of belt damage position; v graphic representation of belt v properties; detailed technical evaluation; and v condition of conveyor belt (operating v hours, mileage, etc.).
So far, Schulte Strathaus can proudly claim that its new STARCLEAN® Smart Scraper has worked without a hitch. It was tested before market introduction in countless deployments under realistic conditions.
TMSA — Bulk Handling Technology is recognized as one of the main Latin American suppliers for the development of solutions for handling solid bulk in high capacities and/or long distances. Operating since 1966, its purpose is to “handle the world, overcoming challenges with creativity, technology and in a sustainable way!”.
The company’s business strategy is focused on the innovation and diversification of products, services and markets, among which the following stand out: port terminals, agro-industries, mining, thermoelectric power plants, fertilizers, renewable energy from biomass, cellulose, cement and the process industry.
Recently, the Terminal Portuário Novo Remanso S/A – TPNR began the installation of a shiploader mounted on a floating terminal, to operate in Novo Remanso/AM.
The new TMSA shiploader is part of a complete package of solutions for unloading, storing and loading grain in a unique location — the core of the Brazilian Amazon rainforest. Such an undertaking was challenging in many aspects, among which is the logistics for delivery and installation due to the travel distances, the difficulty of transporting and acquiring services and parts in the domestic market, and a range of climate-related and environmental issues, such as: the recent floods of the Amazonian rivers. This is yet another undertaking where TMSA has determinedly registered its ability to overcome large challenges with creativity and technology, promoting local and national development.
With more than five decades in the dry bulk handling business, three of them manufacturing shiploaders, TMSA has
developed, supplied and commissioned several shiploader units, and the company enjoys global recognition of quality and operational capacity. Focusing on the reliability and availability of its equipment, TMSA is also recognized for delivering solutions aligned with the new aspirations of the main port terminals with the highest capacity in the world, in which operating costs have been increasingly competitive and challenging.
Currently, ports are an integral part of society, with a key role in the local and global economy, in addition to performing a social and environmental role in cities. Modern port terminals generate income and jobs that strengthen global trade and promote regional development. Therefore, they have a major impact on the preservation of the environment and on the improvement of the quality of life of the
surrounding communities. Thus, TMSA has noticed the adoption of a set of measures, standards and good practices that aim to bring about a sustainable social awareness, minimizing the impact of its operations.
TMSA follows, and actively participates, in the most recent developments related to the environment and social responsibility. Notably, these include evolutions offering ESG (Environmental – Social –Governance) solutions, within which TMSA’s network of suppliers and partners are extremely concerned with the positive result of its equipment in the market and community in which they operate. This includes strong respect for environmental issues of protecting the environment as well as in asset management practices, through durable equipment, with low maintenance and high reliability, delivering environmental value and avoiding as much as possible the generation of waste, contaminants or dust in suspension.
In the city of Santos, Brazil, the port and the city and its residents merge and today there is only one entity. Houses and residential buildings have been built close to the vicinity of the port and the port entered society, not only in physical limits,
but economic, structural, and cultural aspects. This merging of the port and the city has taken place 477 years since the founding of the city, one of the oldest in Brazil. TMSA – Bulk Handling Technology is the company with the greatest presence in solid bulk handling in the region. The recent supply of a shiploader, with a capacity of up to 3,000 tonnes per hour, Terminal XXXIX now has a wide range of environmentally sound equipment, such as enclosed conveyors, dust removal systems, fully aligned with the community’s
environmental and situational issues and the Port of Santos.
In recent years, TMSA has made significant investments to modernize and expand its production plant. One of these is the platform launched with the most advanced technology for solid bulk handling: ‘TMSA 4.0 Digital Revolution’. The programme integrates remote technical assistance and support services into an intelligent platform of digital solutions. Customers have access to the Digital Twin of their equipment, and can thus optimize operations. Through sensors that collect data, the IoT Solution allows for monitoring, in real time, of numerous characteristics of the equipment for decision making, ensuring greater operational efficiency.
Technological solutions are not limited to digital transformation. The growing demand for equipment with ever-increasing capacities, lower power consumption and low impact on the environment inspire the TMSA team to innovate and make its operations more sustainable with customers.
Among the latest releases, the lines of enclosed belt conveyors and telescopic tubes for shiploader stand out.
Like in any other commodity or finished material, demand — which changes periodically according to a number of globally important economic and political factors — leaves an impact on steel production. This once again is borne out by World Steel Association (WSA) data relating to the global output of the commodity (crude steel) seen as the building block for the economy retreating 4.3% to 1,831.5mt (million tonnes) in 2022 from 1,951.2mt in the previous year. However, an abiding consideration for emerging and developing countries — India remains a shining example — to grow steel industry in terms of capacity and product sophistication is the commodity’s output multiplier effect of approximately 1.4 times on gross domestic product (GDP). Therefore, every 1%
improvement in steel output will leave a positive 1.4% impact on GDP. It is to be recalled that WSA in its October update on the short-range demand outlook said global finished steel use in 2022 would see a contraction of 2.3% to 1,796.7mt following the rise of 2.8% to 1,834mt in 2021.
According to WSA, global steel demand in the current year should see a recovery of 1% to 1,814.7mt, with use in China expected to remain flat. ArcelorMittal believes world ex-China apparent steel consumption will recover by 2% to 3% in 2023. Despite improvement in prices of steel of late, these are likely to remain below average levels seen in early 2022, it further says.
There was some smart demand recovery in the latter half of 2021 helped
by fading of Covid-19 epidemic and removal of movement restrictions, particularly in China. However, there was reversal in Chinese steel use starting second quarter of 2022 caused once again by a series of Covid-19 related lockdowns that had a significant cooling of the world’s second largest economy. China GDP growing by a disappointing 3% in 2022 missed the official target of 5.5% by a wide margin slumping to one of its worst levels in nearly half a century. No wonder then, 2022 production of steel in China where the industry is firmly set on a course of reorganization, including continuing phasing out of uneconomic polluting capacity, big ticket mergers (incidentally, a path shown to the world by Lakshmi Mittal. Tata Steel in India is on the same track now), commitment to net zero
carbon emissions by 2060 and focus on creation of capacity for high value steel.
In both world production and consumption of steel, China has a share of more than 50%. What, therefore, follows is that happenings in the Chinese steel industry will have repercussions for other steel-producing nations in terms of demand and prices. Chinese steel production in 2022 retreated by 2.1% to 1,013mt. But thanks to massive government relief measures introduced last year both at the central and province levels, these should leave a positive impact on demand.
Expectedly Chinese steelmakers reacted by lifting January steel output by 2.3% year on year to 79.5mt. Their February output was up 5.6% to 80.1mt. Global production in 2023 first month was, however, down 3.3% to 145.4mt over January 2022. In February too production was down 1% to 142.4mt. The unfavourable economic outlook — resulting from a combination of high interest rates, inflation and recession almost there in many regions — found reflection in eight of ten top steelmaking countries recording fall in production ranging from 6.9% for Japan to 10.2% for Germany. India finishing last year with production up 5.5% to 124.7mt was an exception when other majors such as Japan (down 7.4% to 89.2mt), South Korea (down 6.5% to 65.9mt), the US (down 5.9% to 80.7mt), Russia (down 7.2% to 71.5mt) and 27 nation European Union (down 10.5% to 136.7mt) beat a retreat. Even then India, where new capacity is created by most industry constituents to cater to emerging demand, too suffered a fall in production, though marginal in January. A setback of 0.2% brought Indian production down to 10.9mt year on year.
Before making an analysis of what hit
the global steel industry hard in the final quarter of 2022, it will be in order to make an informed guess of how severe will be the recession in the coming months and the impact of further rate hikes by the US Federal Reserve and other central banks on global debt situation. Steelmakers are aware that Fed interest rate hikes will have a decisive impact on recession and whether the world economy will have a soft or hard landing. In a recent interview, Alan S. Blinder, former vice chairman of the US Fed and presently professor of economics at Princeton University, has said further Fed rate hikes will not be good news for “countries which have large national debt relative to GDP — and that’s a long list... As interest rates go even higher, the damage to budgets of those countries will be even more severe. The US is no exception to this now.” But what does this boils down to the steel industry? If debt servicing is going to claim more and more government revenues, then allocation for infrastructure development, building of new townships and construction of buildings will inevitably take a hit. And these are the sectors which account for the major part of steel use.
According to WSA, building and infrastructure have a share of 52% of global
steel use, automobile 12%, other transport 5%, mechanical equipment 16%, metal products 10%, electrical equipment 3% and domestic appliances 2%.
China, the world’s largest steel user, stands out as an example of what a combination of high public debts curbing official stimulus programme, acquisition postponement of any kind of properties and inflation could do to the industry. The country’s National Bureau of Statistics says in a report that the value of China’s property home sales and land transactions in 2022 was down by 26.7% and 48.4%, respectively on the year. But there is now consensus that the property sector aided by relief measures introduced in a big way last year should recover modestly this year. Hopefully, the country will be spared any further lockdowns. This besides, steel demand should get a leg-up from execution of infrastructure projects launched in the final quarter of last year. WSA, however, puts the caveat that buyers’ confidence, which took a beating over the strictly enforced lockdowns to fight Covid-19 pandemic and official steps to curb property related speculation with accommodation from banks, remains “weak” and that may stand in the way of “a major turnaround” in the real estate market. The positive for the country is the recovery in infrastructure investment, thanks to government support.
In its latest short range outlook for steel in 2023, WSA says: “For the whole year (2022), steel demand in China is likely to fall by 4% with the low base effect of the second half. In 2023, new infrastructure projects and a mild recovery in the real estate market could prevent further contraction of steel demand.” WSA assumption is “significant downside risks” will exist if “small new stimulus measures” are not introduced further and if occasions arise for return of lockdown measures. As for the working of Chinese steel industry, Fitch Ratings said in a report it did not expect “further deterioration in sector profitability following production cuts in response to the weak demand, while high raw material prices should support average selling prices... albeit at low levels... We expect full-year performance of leading Chinese steelmakers... to be similar to 2019 and 2020 on an EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization) level, but much lower than that of 2021.” All the negative profit forecasts for 2022 find confirmation in China Iron & Steel Association (CISA)
confirming over 90% squeeze in profits of the country’s steelmakers, which like other manufacturing industries had to suffer consequences of frequent and widespread Covid-19 disruptions affecting both production and demand. CISA also informs that China’s steel exports could have risen by 1% to 68mt in 2022. Export rises despite production dip of 2.1% were because better prices for steel prevailed in the world market.
Demand fall and low prices for finished steel products badly hurt the working of the world steel industry in general in the final three months of 2022. Take ArcelorMittal (AM). The final 2022 quarter saw sales slipping to $16,891m from $20,806m in the same period of the previous year. Operating loss per tonne of steel was $24 against profit of $289 a year ago. EBITDA is an important indicator of industry performance in a given period. For the three-month period under review, per tonne steel EBITDA of AM sank to a low of $100 from $320 a year ago. Moreover, indicative of low demand plus destocking by users, AM production of finished steel fell to 13.2mt from 16.5mt and shipments to 12.6mt from 15.8mt. Incidentally, AM is the most globally present among all steel producers in the world, being operationally largest in north and south Americas and in Europe. It owns steel manufacturing facilities in 16 countries and has customers in as many as 155 countries.
For an agonizingly long time, AM, promoted and very largely owned by India born Lakshmi Mittal, had to wait till 2019 before it got a foothold in India by way of acquisition of the 9m tonne Hazira plant (flat products) from Essar Group in 2019. The Hazira mill with excellent infrastructure facilities is now being expanded to 15mt. At the same time, AM is to build a 7mt greenfield mill at Jagatsinghpur in the coastal state of Orissa, highly rich in steelmaking raw materials, particularly iron ore. The Group is also to bid for the steel mill belonging to NMDC, India’s largest iron ore producer largely owned by the government. Ahead of its privatization, the mill designed to produce 3mt of hot rolled coil (HRC) a year was made a separate company with its shares listed on stock exchanges. How badly he was missing India all this time is encapsulated in the statement: “It took us many years to be in India. But it was worth the wait.” To the global steel czar, the outlook for steel demand growth in India makes it a “strategic market for us.” In India, AM works in equal partnership with
Japan’s Nippon Steel that will “leverage their respective strengths” to realize the “maximum” potential of the combined entity in the country.
In the meantime, Indian steelmakers across the board found their profits sink in October-December quarter on weak demand, falls in prices of steel products affecting producer margins and export levy on steel (between May 22 and November 19) badly squeezing overseas sales. Tata Steel, which is among the more efficient producers globally, found its Indian EBITDA fall sharply to Rs9,305 per tonne in 2022 October–December period from Rs28,144 per tonne in the corresponding period of the previous year. Consolidated per tonne EBITDA (including European operations) is down to Rs3,812 from Rs22,663. TV Narendran, CEO and managing director of Tata Steel has spoken about “volatile operating environment” and how concerns about the recession and high energy cost weighed on steel prices affecting industry performance. At the same time, Narendran says: “Looking ahead, there is a visible pick up in steel prices across key regions on improved China demand outlook and sustained spending on infrastructure in India.” In a similar vein, AM CEO Aditya Mittal says: “As we look ahead, evidence suggests that the customer destock that we saw in the second half of 2022 has peaked, hence providing support to apparent steel consumption and spreads.”
The industry has likely seen out the down-cycle. And Lakshmi Mittal remains fundamentally “very optimistic about the long-term outlook for our industry.” Such optimism is based on an industry review by AM contending that steel demand is to rise to around 2.6bn tonnes by 2050 from the present about 1.9bn tonnes. The projected demand growth will be underpinned by “continued economic development of
emerging economies” and vast investments required for ambitious green energy programmes across the globe for nations to fulfil their commitment to a net zero emission. Why is the AM chairman getting increasingly focussed on emerging and developing economies such as Mexico, Brazil and India for capacity building? This is because “steel demand in those places continues to grow at an above average rate.”
Has there been a material change in China’s disposition to foreign investment in steel? Overseas steelmakers were not exactly enthused to be part of the Chinese industry because of a number of qualification requirements and stake control restrictions. Even then Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corp has a presence in the industry there through a joint venture (JV) with Baoshan. Similarly, South Korea’s Posco has a stainless steel JV in Shandong province. Despite China hosting the single largest share of world steel capacity, foreign investment there remains limited. Beijing, however, remains more open to foreign groups building mills to make high-end steel alloys requiring use of not easily available technologies instead of commodity steel of which China has surplus capacity.
Irrespective of whether foreign steel groups will warm up to China in a situation of that country standing by Russia engaged in Ukrainian invasion or Beijing will further liberalize foreign investment, the profile of the industry there is surely undergoing change. In line with China going through an unmistakable transition from the long anchored infrastructure and property driven growth to manufacturing led development, future steel capacity development will be focussed on superior grades of flat products finding application
in automobiles to machinery manufacturing to high strength containers to pipes for oil and gas and hydrogen transmission. The transition is driven by following factors: first, the demand for long steel used in infra projects and housebuilding has started plateauing while the manufacturing sector will be in need for more and more flat steel products. Second, even after all the government enforced capacity shedding, the country still has capacity of 1.3bn tonnes as recognized by the ministry of industry & information technology while demand remains around 1bn tonnes. Surplus capacity is almost entirely in long products. The oversupplied and overly financialized Chinese steel market is often the cause of major price fluctuations. Third, flat steel products offer scope for more value addition than long ones and therefore, offer better margins. Fourth, the focus of new investment is in high end HRC capacity.
Interestingly, the demand for HRC in construction sector is likely to gradually increase while that of rebar and wire rod (long items) will fall. China now has an estimated HRC capacity of 350mt to which new capacity of 68mt is to be added in 2022 and 2023 through 24 hot strip mills. All the new mills are built by existing Chinese steelmakers. To their advantage, all the machinery from blast furnaces to coke ovens to finishing mills comes from local suppliers who will match their European and the US counterparts in technology. Chinese steelmaking machinery makers price their products at a discount than Western competition allowing them to win more and more export orders, including from India. For the time being wholly owned foreign steel ventures are welcomed in the country’s select free trade zones.
How soon the 14-month-old Ukrainian war will come to an end remains a point for speculation with the world getting polarized between the Western countries led by the US and Russia, which has support of China. What is important for the steel industry where seaborne trade in the commodity remains high ranging from 420m to 430mt is the fallout of the war on trade. As nationalism asserts itself and governments in general are inclined to offer protection to domestic industry, steelmakers will have to contend with growing trade barriers. Near-shoring is feared to take precedence. But whenever the war ends, reconstruction of cities and infrastructure in Ukraine will require millions of tonnes of steel and other
metals. Similarly, rebuilding of homes, other structures and roads in Turkey and Syria destroyed in a series of recent earthquakes will create demand for the metal. These are situations that will aid seaborne trade in steel.
The world’s fifth largest economy India with estimated value of $3.7 trillion in 2023 is yet another example of demand growing for speciality steel, production of which requires application of frontier technology, capacity building and large new investment. To make this happen, New Delhi introduced production linked incentive (PLI) for coated/plated steel, high strength/wear resistant steel, electrical steel, speciality steels and steel alloys. Expectedly, all the major Indian steelmakers have applied for PLI subvention and committed investment to build 26mt of speciality steel capacity. The government has provided for Rs63.22bn ($770m approximately) in July 2021 under PLI to prompt the industry to take up production of very high value steel for which the country remains largely import dependent.
Independent of PLI of which they will be beneficiaries, Tata Steel and JSW Steel have for long been engaged in developing steel products leading to gradual import substitution. Tata Steel says: “Numerous high-strength structural grades for automotive applications were developed (2021-22), including E450 — hot formed for axle housing, S700MC (thin) and JSH 590B, with more than 75% hole expansion ratio for automotive structural. Noteworthy developments in the API segment include the successful commercialization of J55 for oil country tubular goods application.” Every year, the company, which invests heavily in R&D, routinely comes out with new products. JSW has also been early in seizing opportunities to make steels such as advanced high strength automotive steel and special alloy steel. Seeing the potential for rapid demand growth for speciality steel in India, some steelmakers in Japan and South Korea, repositories of advanced steelmaking technologies are exploring joint venture opportunities here.
Steel will always be needed for economic growth and progress of civilization. At the same time, concerns surrounding the metal are its share of 7% to 9% of global anthropogenic CO2 emissions. WSA says every tonne of steel produced during 2020 emitted CO2 of 1.85 tonnes. No wonder then, as countries
have made commitments to migrate to net zero level following 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change, responsibility devolves on the steel industry, which is among the hard to abate sectors, to steadily bring down emission levels.
Arsenals available with the industry to cut CO2 emissions are improvement in selection of raw materials, yield improvement, better energy efficiency, reduction in waste generation and recycling of water, gas and steam. Narendran keeps us reminding that much in this regard will be achieved provided the industry constituents champion circular economy so relevant for steel. This ferrous metal is infinitely recyclable without any loss of its inherent properties. More steel is made by way of recycling greater will be the saving of virgin resources, reduction in GHG emissions and sparing of landfills. WSA informs that in the 2021 steel production of 1,949.9mt, the respective share of oxygen and electric arc furnace routes is 70.8% and 28.9% (the balance came from a few surviving open hearth furnaces). Production of every tonne of steel made from scrap results in an average saving of 1,400kg iron ore, 740kg coal and 120kg limestone.
According to one estimate, the global supply of end of life steel scrap should be up from 390mt in 2018 to 600mt in 2030 and then to 900mt in 2050. Quite expectedly, much of the growth in scrap supplies will come from China. In recognition of the unexplored scope for technology based generation of quality scrap, Tata Steel has already commissioned a 0.5m tonne steel recycling plant in north Indian state Haryana and this will be followed by building similar units in the country’s west and the south. Recycling apart, industry leaders from AM to Nippon Steel to Posco to Tata Steel are all aiming at building green steel plants powered by hydrogen that will replace use of coal. The fact is there is a major additional cost involved in decarbonizing steel. But customer appetite for low carbon steel is real. Steel to be made with low-carbon technologies involving much higher production cost than made with conventional technologies will have to be sold in the same market as conventional steel for quite a long time. This will result in a first mover disadvantage for the ones to build capacity for green steel. AM, Tata Steel and others are, therefore, campaigning for public funding covering half the total decarbonization cost — incremental capital and operating expenditure. DCi
Customised two-part ship unloading intake and stacking system for cement clinker application.
•Eliminate double handling of material with no trucks/wheel loaders.
•Increased unloading rates with reduced operational costs.
•Utilise full potential of warehouse storage areas.
•Reduce dust emissions with comprehensive range of dust management options.
•Multi-functionality of equipment opens up other markets for client’s jetty.
•Full range of shiploading, ship unloading and warehouse solutions custom-designed for the cement industry.
www.telestack.com
sales@telestack.com
