Alumina handling operator set to benefit from Siwertell ship unloader technology

23 Aug 2021

Bruks Siwertell has won an order for a Siwertell 10,000 S next-generation road-mobile unloader from new customer Trimet France. It is destined for unloading dry bulk cargoes of alumina in Marseille; the country’s largest port. The unloader offers extremely efficient, dust-free alumina handling with minimal material degradation and very low energy consumption. It also features advanced digital technology for remote monitoring and service support. 

Trimet France placed the contract following a 20-month lease of an older Siwertell 10,000 S unloader from another Bruks Siwertell customer. “Over this time, we supported Trimet France with any servicing needs, and had the rare opportunity to form a relationship with the customer before its purchase,” explains Jörgen Ojeda, Sales Director Mobile Unloaders, Bruks Siwertell. 

“Trimet France wants to strengthen its present alumina unloading operation. Its original decision to lease our hardware was an endorsement of Siwertell systems in itself, but evidently, wanting to order its own unloader, after experiencing what our equipment could offer, speaks volumes in terms of Trimet France’s trust in the equipment and in us as a company,” continues Ojeda. 

“Siwertell unloaders have unbeatable environmental performance with zero spillage and virtually no dust creation. They also offer minimal material degradation, which delivers a particular advantage to the alumina industry,” he adds. 

“Our systems handle materials carefully, which minimizes the production of powdery fines,” Ojeda explains. “Aluminum smelting is energy intensive, and is very sensitive to the amount of fines in the alumina; the lower the percentage of fines, the lower the temperature required in the process, which therefore reduces energy consumption. This is ultimately good news for the planet and for profitability.”

Many port operators already benefit from the flexibility and efficiency of Siwertell road-mobile unloaders. “We have unloaded 1.25 million metric tons of alumina with a previous road-mobile installation in Croatia, which operated between 1997 and 2006 and ran up over 10,500 hours of service,” he notes. “This order strengthens our strategic aim for even more operators to benefit from our market-leading alumina handling capabilities.”

Scheduled for delivery later this year, the new road-mobile unloader will offer a rated capacity of 130t/h, discharging vessels up to 10,000 dwt, and can be folded down and relocated in under an hour. It also features the Internet of things (IoT) device, Compulab, which enables extensive monitoring, follow-up, support and trouble-shooting through safe, remote access.