Two shiploaders for mining giant

FLSmidth KOCH MVT together with FLSmidth Minerals Brazil has won a contract to supply a new shiploading system to Companhia Vale do Rio Doce (Vale) in Brazil. Located at the Vitoria Tubarão Port in the State of Espirito Santo, the system will be capable of loading 32,000 tonnes of iron ore an hour.

The shiploading system includes two shiploaders with tripper cars and two jetty conveyors. And because the new system will be installed on the existing, and still operational jetty, the project also involves adapting the current conveyor system and removing the two old shiploading systems.

Loading on both sides of the jetty
The iron ore is transported from the stockyard via conveyors and a tripper car onto the shiploaders. Each shiploader is capable of loading iron ore or pellets into ocean vessels at a rate of 16,000 tonnes per hour. And they can load ships on either side of the jetty – which was an important factor in the design as it means the machines must work in a very restricted area.

A stair and walkway system, accessed via the tripper cars, allows workers to reach all necessary areas of the shiploaders for operation and maintenance. The shiploaders are powered through cables running on reels on the tripper cars. And to keep the machines static in stormy weather, they are equipped with two rail clamps mounted on the travel system.

An international project
FLSmidth KOCH MVT has been responsible for designing the system and managing the international project. The tripper cars and conveyors were manufactured in Brazil, and the complete travel system was produced in Poland. The shiploaders, however, were an international effort. Parts were produced in Germany, Poland, Canada, China and Brazil before being transported to Guangzhou, China for steelwork and mechanical fabrication.

After assembly and cold commissioning in China, the shiploaders were loaded onto a barge and transported approximately 40 kilometres down the Pearl River towards Hong Kong. The machines were then loaded onto the deck of a sea vessel for transport to Brazil. Each machine weighs about 1,720 tonnes without the tripper car, and the ship, built in Germany in 2007-08, is among the most advanced available for transporting this kind of cargo.

Installation in Brazil
The first shiploader was shipped in March 2009, and the second will follow in May. When they reach Brazil, the shiploaders will be off-loaded directly onto the jetty. Then the tripper cars will be connected, the electrical work will be completed and the system will be hot commissioned and ready for operation.

Related links:
Go to FLSmidth Koch MVT
Go to FLSmidth Minerals