Introduction of a new machine that improves working conditions and reduces time involved in discharging bulk carriers has made Fremantle Ports a leader amongst Australian ports in terms of this technology.
Fremantle Ports is the first to invest in a High Performance Unit (HPU).
The HPU consists of two hydraulic-driven prongs that vibrate and loosen material caught between the ribbings at the sides of the hatch.
Attached to an excavator, it is lifted into the hatch after the main material has been removed by the unloaders. The loosened material quickly shakes to the bottom, where it can be gathered in a pile in the centre and removed.
“It brings down coal in seconds,” Kwinana Bulk Terminal Operations Coordinator Jack Murphy said. “It’s fantastic.”
“The HPU provides substantial savings,” Hans said. “It significantly reduces trimming requirements for cargo such as coal and slag, as it is removed from hatches.
“It also reduces the risk of product caving in on personnel working below and the risk of damage to vessels during the trimming process.”
New HPU improves bulk unloading safety and efficiency
