Grain Handling

Waterways are the Future

10.04.2008 | Author / Editor: D. Neuschütz, Switzerland / Marcel Dröttboom

Moreover, accidents on waterways are relatively rare. If we add up all the costs of goods traffic, the figures clearly favour waterways. It is therefore not surprising to find that this market is also growing globally, and coastal, ocean-going, and inland navigation is also becoming increasingly important in America and Asia.

In the future, the importance of networking the individual means of transportation (water, rail, road) will increase steadily. Such inter-linking requires small yet high-capacity transfer and bulk storage facilities.

Market Distribution

With its mechanical high-capacity ship unloaders of the Portalink series, the Buhler Grain Handling business unit offers unloading throughputs of 1200 t/h even today. Theoretically, such a capacity would enable 30 large 40 t trucks to be loaded every hour – one complete truck every two minutes.

To further speed up unloading and thereby to further increase unloading efficiency, an even bigger system is currently under development. It will be capable of handling 1500 t/h. Even unloading rates of 2000 t/h are currently under discussion.

Geographically, growth will be centred on the classic grain exporting countries such as the United States, South America, and Australia. Here, special-purpose ship loaders are required. Ship unloaders are applied mainly in Asia, Arabia, and Africa.

Even today, the grain shortage in China amounts to 28 million tons because adequate quantities of clean water and sufficient crop growing areas are no longer available to agriculture. In these large-scale projects in Asia, collaboration with local partners is essential.

Thus, for example, the steelwork is manufactured locally, and Chinese partners install the systems under the supervision of Buhler specialists. By skilfully involving local partners, it proved possible to achieve ambitious project goals.

Buhler AG - Grain Handling