Holiday hotspot dictates excellent environmental credentials

A new jetty, extending 2,500m into the protected waters of the Bohai Sea, is home to a pair of Siwertell unloaders that now work side-by-side, delivering high-capacity coal handling and environmental protection to the Suizhong power plant

the innermost north west extension of the Yellow Sea, named after the annual phenomenon which coats its surface in the fine sands of the Gobi Desert, is the beautiful Chinese province of Liaoning. The Yellow Sea, which separates mainland China and the Korean Peninsula, is home to some of China’s most prized fishing grounds and is an important staging area for migratory seabirds. Against the backdrop of this delicate eco system, any industrial activity that occurs along its coastline must meet stringent environmental protection regulations.

However, China’s population is close to 19 percent of the world’s total and its energy requirements are therefore huge; balancing this demand with supply is a complex task.

In 2016, Suizhong Power Generation Co Ltd and former state-owned mining and energy company, Shenhua Group, turned to Bruks Siwertell for a highcapacity coal handling system that would serve a large expansion project at the 3,800MW coal-fired Suizhong power plant in Suizhong, Liaoning.

“Suizhong needed to increase its annual intake of coal to around six million metric tons in the most environmentally friendly way possible,” explains Per Wahlström, Bruks Siwertell Contract Manager for the Suizhong project.

“Liaoning is the most populous province in the region, and its seaside resorts are particularly popular holiday destinations for people living in Beijing. This being the case, absolutely no spillage or dust emissions from handling coal were allowed.

“This is why we were initially approached, to see if our enclosed Siwertell unloaders would meet the standards required, and they did,” adds Mr Wahlström. A year after the order, Shenhua merged with another large Chinese energy company, Guodian; forming China Energy Investment Corporation, and following a settlement period for the newly merged entity, two high-capacity Siwertell 790 D-type unloaders were delivered to the Suizhong power plant at the end of 2019. This takes the number of Siwertell unloaders within the energy group to three, as a smaller Siwertell unloader was delivered in 2018 to the Suqian power plant, formerly part of Guodian.

The unloaders were transported fully assembled on a barge from Nantong. They are now installed on a 300mberth along with transfer towers and new conveyors on a new jetty that extends 2,500m out into the Bohai Gulf.

“The most critical phases of the project were loading and unloading the completely assembled units from the barge onto the power station’s new jetty using a floating crane,” says Mr Wahlström. “For these types of

operations, safety, effective preparation and good communication involving all parties is crucial.”

The unloaders have now been in operation for several months and early feedback is positive. Li Lun, a representative of the Engineering Department of Suizhong Power Plant, told Bruks Siwertell: “By using Siwertell ship unloaders, our through-ship capacity has significantly increased, which substantially reduces ship berthing fees.”

“We are very satisfied,” continues Mr Li. “The two ship unloaders have proved their good performance and reliable operation since they were installed. All technical targets and requirements in the contract are fulfilled and they are the essential part in our jetty construction accomplishment. With their totally enclosed design, we have also gained a clean jetty, hence environmental protection is hugely increased. “Meanwhile, the excellent screw conveyors simplify the whole unloading operation, all costs are reduced, and they make it safer, so both our operators and maintenance personnel feel more comfortable in their daily duties,” he says.

PER WAHLSTRÖM, BRUKS SIWERTELL CONTRACT MANAGER FOR THE SUIZHONG PROJECT

“Previously the coal was handled with grab cranes,” adds Mr Wahl ström. “In comparison, our unloaders offer significantly higher rates of through-ship efficiency, environmental protection, shorter turnaround times for vessels, and cost savings.”

The screw-type unloaders each offer a continuous rated capacity of 1,500t/h, serving vessels up to 50,000 dwt. “They have a throughship efficiency significantly higher than an equivalent capacity grab crane,” he notes. “The efficiency improvements are very significant for this operator and enable Suizhong to meet all its performance goals, which were not achievable through the application of standard systems. Furthermore, what this project also demonstrates is that, although seaside resorts and large coal handling facilities are not natural companions, they can happily exist side-by-side. This is likely to be ever more relevant as busy ports, space constraints and growing populations increase the likelihood of these shared-space scenarios,” concludes Mr Wahlström.