Project: VENUS INTERNATIONAL

Egypt 1999

(Article published in Dry Cargo Magazine March 2000)

As part of a privatisation project in Egypt, the new Venus Grain Terminal started operation at end-1999. General contractor, Chief Industries of the USA, supplied all mechanical conveyors, the storage and electrical systems. In addition, Neuero in the USA supplied one ship unloader - a Multiport M500 type machine - plus a Combiport type C500/500 - a combination of shiploader and ship unloader.

The new Venus Grain Terminal is located at El Dekheila in the Port of Alexandria, Egypt. Among various pieces of equipment and other facilities supplied were:

• storage facilities, comprising of 100,000 tonnes in metal silos, flat storage for soymeal and a flat storage for general cargo
• two belt conveyors with capacity of 500tph each to feed the silos complex with the grain/meal coming from the quayside, and before entering the storage area where incoming bulk is weighed
• two ship unloaders, also with capacity of 500tph each to feed the quayside belt conveyors during unloading operations. In addition, a combined ship unloader/loader is connected to a reversible conveyor belt which makes the terminal also equipped for the export of bulk grain
• a Multiport M500, mounted on rails (span of 15m) and connected through a truth type bridge (19m) to the landside belt conveyors. Designed to unload ships up to Panamax size (70,000dwt) at a rate of 500tph, the new unloader is equipped with Neuero Turbo-blowers, with two loading spouts for alternative loading of trucks.

Electric power and interlocking with land installation is done through power cable drum and control cable drum. It is PLC controlled, with all safety precautions and troubleshooting through an alarm panel.

The ship handling machinery is equipped with all safety precautions for safe operation and maintenance, including filter checks and maintenance of the filter bags inside the filter housing. Each access is available to check the elbow wearing plate, vertical telescopic winch and illumination, through an ability to lower the boom to the ground. Sound levels of the installation are restricted to less than 85dbA at 1 m distance. Dust emission is less than 20mg/mі of air with the use of filters at the unloading and conveyor transfer points.

In the case of the Combiport C500/500, the same technical points of the Multiport M500 apply, but with a loading boom able to load ships up to 25,000 dwt. The loading boom operates with slewing and vertical telescopic pipe movements. When in unloading operation, the boom is swiveled to a parking position.