Yara takes Siwertell ship unloader to Arctic

(Posted on 07/07/19)

Bruks Siwertell has completed the on-time installation and successful performance tests of a new 600t/h Siwertell ship unloader at Yara International’s Norwegian fertilizer terminal in Glomfjord; 5 kilometers into the Arctic Circle and home to some of the most tightly-controlled environs in the world.

“Yara International is very satisfied and impressed that, just 18 months from the order being placed, it now has a new machine up and running and meeting the stringent environmental standards of the company and the site, without a single day of delay,” says Peter Goransson, Sales Manager and Senior Advisor, Siwertell.

Delivered from Bruks Siwertell’s southern-European production facility and transported fully-assembled via heavy-lift ship, the Siwertell ST-490M ship unloader has been successfully mounted onto its rails and intensive training and commissioning work is now complete. It is already being used to offload various types of rock phosphate from vessels of up to 20,000 dwt and will also handle potash fertilizers.

“Yara is well aware that it can expect a lifespan of many decades from its new unloader, thanks to a previous Siwertell installation for the company that has been in service since 1980,” continues Mr Goransson. “It also knows that it can trust the operational and environmental performance of Siwertell technology.”

The Glomfjord site is exposed to prevailing high winds, as well as very cold temperatures. It is subject to stringent environmental legislation, which protects the coastline from harmful emissions from shipping, and must also meet enhanced regulations by virtue of being within the Arctic Circle.

Industrial activities in these areas are therefore under intense environmental scrutiny. Yara’s production plant, the world’s northernmost fertilizer facility, is no exception and comprises four production units. It also has its own harbor with installations for unloading ammonia, as well as storage, packaging and dispatch systems for fertilizer products.

“In a country that leads the world in environmental legislation, it is little wonder that Yara took the future-proof step of making Siwertell screw-type ship unloaders its equipment of choice – especially for handling sensitive dry bulk material like phosphates,” notes Mr Goransson.

“The Siwertell screw-type ship unloader was not only chosen for its ability to safely handle these materials, and for its environmental credentials, which include high levels of efficiency, and a totally-enclosed conveyor system, eliminating dust emissions and spillage, but also for its impressive through-ship capacity,” he says.

“We are delighted to have once again been Yara’s choice for this uniquely demanding application,” he adds. “We look forward to continuing our long and fruitful collaboration.”

Bruks Siwertell design, produce and deliver systems for loading, unloading, conveying, storing, and stacking and reclaiming dry bulk materials, alongside equipment for chipping, screening, milling and processing wood for the biofuel, board, saw mill, pulp and paper industries. All equipment is designed to ensure environmentally-friendly and efficient cargo operations.