Conveyor Engineering – Design Ship Loading Conveyor and Wharf Conveyor for BSL Port Kembla

Initial Scope:

BlueScope Steel engaged SOTO Consulting Engineers to design, develop and engineer a new coke loading sequence to more efficiently handle and load export grade coke to overseas markets that are in short supply of quality coke. This sequence was to include upgraded wharf conveyor systems as well as ship loading conveyors.

Solution:

SOTO took to concept development and detail engineering of the wharf conveyor systems and ship loading conveyors as well as converting the existing ship unloader into a ship loader. Our engineers applied extensive experience in bulk materials handling to the designs of the transfers and chutes, as well as the wharf conveyor system including the large tripper unit and the transfer telescopic conveyor that conveys the material into the ship. The latest design software was used to design and test cost effectively. In addition to the materials handling SOTO also completed the necessary civil and structural engineering associated with the new coke loading facility and structures.

Results:

The new ship loading equipment and conveyors designed and built in the Illawarra by local Bulk Materials Handling experts, SOTO Consulting Engineers, were recently debuted to load 30,000T of coke destined for the export market. Loading of the coke into the haul of the bulk carrier ship “Ocean Colossus” was completed successfully within the scheduled time frame using the all new conveyors and screening equipment installed by BlueScope Steel. The equipment was fully constructed from BlueScope steel and manufactured by many local companies specialising in fabrication, machining, electrical and control. All engineering undertaken by SOTO was from its Illawarra-based design office that utilises advanced conveyor, chutes and bin design methods and software to deliver cost effective solutions.