Coal transshipment in Turkey
OLDENDORFF CARRIERS operates one of the world's largest floating coal transshipment terminals, the "ISKEN", in the Gulf of Iskenderun in Turkey. The terminal, conceptually designed by OLDENDORFF CARRIERS, was put into operation in November 2002, together with two hopper self-unloading units (HSUs) and two pusher tugs.
Around 3.0 million tons of coal are discharged by this system each year, mainly from Capesize vessels arriving from Colombia and South Africa. The receiver is the modern 1,300 MW power station at nearby Sugözü, which is operated by Iskenderun Enerji Üretim ve Ticaret A.S.
Getting it there
The transshipper was delivered at the end of September 2002 from Remontowa Shipyard in Poland. With a length of 107 metres, a breadth of 44 metres and a total height of 54 metres, this twin-hulled, non-propelled floating cargo terminal is an impressive steel structure. It was transported from Poland to Turkey in a spectacular tow on top of a large submersible barge. The 40-ton bollard pull/3,500-hp tugs were constructed at Uzmar Shipyard in Turkey and also delivered in September 2002.
The HSUs, each with a capacity of 10,000 tons on a shallow draught of 4.95 metres, were built in 2000 at OLDENDORFF CARRIERS' own shipyard, FLENSBURGER Schiffbau-Gesellschaft. All units sail under the Turkish flag and all day-to-day technical and crewing management is done by OLDENDORFF's affiliate Iskolden Tasimacilik ve Ticaret A.S. in Iskenderun.
The operation
The cargo handling operations are performed by three Liebherr 50-ton, high-speed, heavy-duty, double-girder jib cranes, arranged at the port side of the transshipper deck structure. The SWL with the 30-cbm grabs is 45 tons. The jib of each crane has a very wide outreach of 38 metres. The cranes unload the coal from the bulk carriers, via three hoppers, onto a conveyor belt system, which discharges the coal via a chute into an HSU moored between the transshipper's twin hulls. For mooring to the bulk carriers, the transshipper is equipped with mooring and breasting winches, and to facilitate gradual "towing" of the HSUs under the transshipper deck and loading chute, for even distribution of cargo, several mooring/traction winches are used. The transshipper also contains four large auxiliary diesel engines, accommodation for more than 30 people and parking positions for three wheel loaders and three caterpillar excavators used for cleaning out the holds of the bulk carriers. Most parts of the system are enclosed for environmental protection and a highly effective spray system suppresses dust.
Once an HSU is loaded, it is pushed by the tugs around 2 miles to the jetty, where only 6 metres of depth is available. Each HSU is equipped with a 2,500-tons/hour-capacity gravity-type self-unloading system, which feeds the coal into a receiving hopper via its boom conveyor. A shore-side conveyor belt system takes the coal to the 800,000-ton-capacity stockpile adjacent to the power station.
A Capesize vessel is normally discharged in around 4 days, which is equivalent to an unloading rate of 35-45,000 tons/day - a level of productivity far higher than the contractually required 30,000 tons/day and which even most port terminals would struggle to achieve. By the end of 2009, more than 20 million tons of coal will have been transshipped.
The contract for the employment of this system, which OLDENDORFF holds with Evonik Trading GmbH and Rheinbraun Brennstoff GmbH, runs until the end of 2019.
Our track record
Over the years OLDENDORFF CARRIERS has built up a considerable area of activity within bulk logistics and project development. The company is engaged in several major transshipment projects around the globe, and is operating seven self-unloading bulk carriers. Through its experience with grab and belt self-unloading technology and its financial strength, OLDENDORFF CARRIERS is continuously developing further projects and is expanding its involvement in self-unloading trades, bulk shuttles, transshipment, top-off and lighterage operations, port development and other bulk logistics projects.
The gist of bulk logistics for OLDENDORFF CARRIERS
is to assist clients in achieving their goals by designing, building and operating fast, reliable and cost-efficient logistic systems. High ocean transportation costs and increasing throughput requirements combined with factors like draft limited ports, lack of port loading or unloading facilities and local environmental restrictions are driving shippers and receivers to think in terms of tailor-made logistic solutions. With a purposely designed system or vessel in place, substantial freight savings can be achieved and import/export volumes can be increased.
