Siwertell ship unloader - India

Siwertell unloaders secure environmental sustainability in Paradeep 

Leading Indian fertilizer company, Paradeep Phosphates Ltd (PPL), needed to increase its bulk material handling capacity in the most sustainable and environment-friendly way possible. Having previously ordered a continuous screw-type Siwertell ship unloader, the operator turned to Siwertell dry bulk handling technology once again. 

Customer need

Paradeep Phosphates Ltd (PPL), part of the KK Birla Group and the OCP Group of Morocco, is a major manufacturer of phosphatic fertilizers and is Asia’s second largest producer of diammonium phosphate (DAP). 

In 2005, the operator was facing huge environmental issues at its jetty in the port of Paradeep, in Odisha, India, and was looking for a new ship unloading solution. After a visit to Australia to appraise a Siwertell installation there, PPL was convinced that a continuous, screw-type Siwertell ship unloader was the answer to its needs, leading to its original Siwertell ship unloader being delivered in 2006. The Siwertell ship unloader enabled PPL to switch from open-air handling systems to enclosed sulfur handling; an environmental transformation. 

Continuing increasing demand for sulfur and rock phosphate meant that the operator needed to substantially step-up capacity once again at its Paradeep jetty. PPL wanted to increase capacity in the most sustainable and environment-friendly way possible. 

Our solution

In 2024, Bruks Siwertell commissioned PPL’s second Siwertell ST 640 D-type ship unloader. The unloader’s assembly and installation were carried out within limited space and planned around the port’s very busy schedules. 

Similar to the first unit, the new rail-mounted ship unloader has the capacity to discharge sulfur from vessels up to 60,000 dwt in size, at a rated capacity of 1,500t/h. It alternates handling this cargo with rock phosphate at a rate of 1,200t/h and muriate of potash (MOP) at 1,050t/h. It operates on the same jetty as Bruks Siwertell’s previous delivery for PPL, substantially increasing the operator’s material handling capacity. 

Both units, like all Siwertell ship unloaders that handle sulfur, are fitted with the Siwertell Sulfur Safety System (4S), which was first developed over 30 years ago to minimize the risk of explosions when handling this extremely volatile and corrosive dry bulk material.  

Siwertell ship unloaders are unique in their capacity to safely handle sulfur in totally contained conveyors from the ship’s hold to the shore.