“With forestry equipment, such as chippers, a whole range of wood-processing technology, truck dumper systems at receiving facilities, fully automated woodyards, advanced air-cushion conveying systems, and market-leading ship loaders and unloaders, Bruks Siwertell is in a prime position to help pellet producers and users keep up with demand, and make the best of opportunities presented by this growing market,” Upchurch concludes.

The rail-mounted ST 440-C screw-type ship unloader was assembled and started operations in 1982; it was the 27th Siwertell unloader delivery. For forty years, it has secured environment-friendly cement handling operations for Ash Grove, a leading American cement company.

Built to process a huge variety of wood residues, the RU 14-4 machine builds on already proven technology, living up to its name of upgrading waste or end-of-life timber to deliver wood chips that can be used for a range of purposes, for example, in the bioenergy market.

‘Bulk Day’, as it has become affectionately named, is now a regular knowledge-sharing and networking event, held at least once a year in different countries. Organized by Bruks Siwertell and repeated twice last year as a result of popular demand, it is designed to set aside dedicated time to meet operators, port representatives and engineering companies from all over the world, and provide a platform for connection.

It has never been more important than now to make maximum use of raw materials and one of the most generously diverse is wood. Wood is not only renewable, it is also a critical element in carbon capture, and its uses span multiple industries from energy production to construction.

In building capacity, African countries have the opportunity to ‘leapfrog’ to the best dry bulk handling systems available on the market, enabling growth and development. By using mobile ship unloading technology, even ports with little or no infrastructure can benefit.

Agricultural giant, Archer-Daniels-Midland (ADM), the American multinational food processing and commodities corporation, understands grain handling more than most. Headquartered in Chicago, ADM’s US operations comprise more than 160 ingredient manufacturing plants and more than 300 crop procurement facilities, located across 29 US states.

Recently, hub ports in Europe have made agreements with their Asian counterparts aimed at addressing shortcomings within the maritime trade framework. A hurry-up-and-wait regime has ships speeding through the Suez

Mobile wood chipping is at the heart of bioenergy harvests, and for good reason. Able to work in remote areas, deep along forest roads, mobile chippers can handle a huge range of forestry wood, from slash piles to full length trees.

Highlighting the ability to tailor technology to meet the unique requirements of retrofitting new dry bulk material handling arrangements, is a recent air-cushion conveyor contract from BASF Corporation for its Maricopa agricultural solutions facility in Bapchule, Arizona, USA.