Japanese shipowner Taiheiyo Kisen Kaisha Ltd has placed an order for autonomous loading and unloading systems for an 8700 dwt cement carrier. The contract was awarded to MacGregor, which is part of the Finnish firm Cargotec.
The 109 m cement carrier will be built with four cargo holds, each divided into two compartments. The MacGregor handling system is designed to carry three grades of cement at a rate of 1000 tph, and is programmed for automatic operation by just one person.
The totally enclosed cement handling arrangements will ensure flexible, efficient and clean cargo operations, according to Anders Berencsy, Sales Manager, Selfunloaders at MacGregor. A combination of aeroslides, hydraulically-actuated flow control and sliding gates, flexible connections and hydraulically-actuated flow dividers are used to complete ship loading. Pneumatically-operated shut-off valves are used to avoid contamination between different grades of cement. Loading can be achieved on either side of the vessel.
For unloading, cement is aerated via sloping aeration panels on the tank top of each hold, allowing it to flow towards a vertical screw conveyor equipped with remote controlled flow control gates. From the deck level, the cement is transported by a combination of reversible horizontal screw conveyors and a blow pump system. Dust collectors are installed on deck.
Adapted from press release by Katherine Guenioui