Siwertell ship unloading technology ordered for enclosed, efficient multi-material handling in Africa

15 May 2023

Bruks Siwertell has secured an order from Senegal Minergy Port SA (SMP) for a high-capacity Siwertell ship unloader for the new port of Bargny-Sendou, which is under construction near Dakar, Senegal, west Africa. Established to undertake the development of this new liquid and dry bulk facility, SMP needed a ship unloading solution that was able to efficiently and safely switch between multiple dry bulk cargoes.

“SMP spoke with many industry professionals regarding our technology and reputation before approaching us,” says Bertil Andersson, Sales Manager, Bruks Siwertell. “All spoke extremely highly of Bruks Siwertell and did not hesitate to give their recommendations.”

Around ninety percent of Senegal’s trade comes through its current Atlantic Ocean port, the Autonomous Port of Dakar. However, growing import and export demands has outstripped its capacity and Senegal urgently needs to address this, hence the construction of the new port in Bargny-Sendou, which upon opening, will take over all of the bulk commodity flows from the Autonomous Port of Dakar.

“Bargny-Sendou Port will be the largest and most sophisticated of its kind in west Africa,” says Alexander Zalocosta, CFO Senegal Minergy Port SA. “Having an initial dry bulk capacity of 20 million metric tons, it is predicted to handle 15 million metric tons of commodities in its first year of operations.

“In addition to catalyzing both regional and national growth, Bargny-Sendou Port will deliver significant environmental benefits,” continues Zalocosta. “Its new location will mean a substantial reduction in traffic and air pollution in downtown Dakar, where the current port is located. All Senegalese residents will benefit from the port’s modernized infrastructure not only environmentally, but also because transportation and freight costs will be reduced, and there will be fewer import and export delays. The port will also create a significant amount of jobs for the local population.”

The Siwertell 640 M-type ship unloader will deliver market-leading dry bulk handling capabilities, realizing SMP’s ambitions for the new port to act as a major hub for global trade. It will handle dry bulk material imports of sulfur, coal, urea, and fertilizer, at a rated capacity up to 1,500t/h.

“These are very abrasive and volatile dry bulks, but our technology enables them to be handled safely, in totally enclosed conveying lines, protecting the environment from dust emissions and ensuring no material waste through spillage,” explains Andersson. “SMP has ordered this unloader because it is aware of our ability to deliver this type of world-class dry bulk material handling asset.”

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 technology is the only ship unloading system able to offer safe, totally enclosed sulfur handling, protecting the environment, personnel and the port,” he adds. 

The Siwertell ship unloader will be installed on a jetty 1,500m from the shore, and also ensures the advantage of being low in weight, which minimizes jetty loads. It will be assembled on site under Bruks Siwertell supervision and is planned to commence operations in mid-2024.