Shi.E.L.D. Services, the transshipment logistics leader, has won a contract to manage and operate a transhipper vessel in Guinea to service the growing mineral export sector in the country.
Shi.E.L.D. will be managing the Cargo Transfer Ship Bulk Borneo for Asian Bulk Logistics (ABL), a Jakarta-based leader in the bulk logistics sector.
The vessel, owned by Asian Bulk Logistics (ABL), now positioned 18.5 nautical kilometres off shore from the Port of Kamsar, has a 50,000 tons per day capacity and equipment includes dual Liebherr cranes, each with a 30-ton grab capacity, a metal detector in the conveyer belt and two 105-degree rotating ship chutes to load cargo onto the ocean-going vessel.
“We are delighted to have been selected by ABL to provide transshipper services for this exciting new project in Guinea and we look forward to more opportunities in the future. We are now transhipping bauxite at a net daily rate of 35,000 ton per day, from a vessel that was designed to handle coal. Following the arrival in Kamsar of CTS Bulk Borneo, we were able to carry out all the modifications needed to shift from coal to bauxite in one week. Bauxite is a material with different characteristics compared with coal and we had to make some modifications on the hopper and conveyor system. Planning was a key factor in this project to reduce idling time and to improve performance,” said Corrado Cuccurullo, CEO of Shi.E.L.D. Services.
“ABL has been working with Shi.E.L.D. in Indonesia. We relied on their experience and expertise to move the vessel from Indonesia and deploy it for handling a non-coal commodity. We are pleased with the professionalism, knowledge and co-operation we have had throughout the process,” said Capt Pappu Sastry, CCO of PT Asian Bulk Logistics.
Shi.E.L.D. Services specialises in operating transhipper vessels where there are depth restrictions alongside major bulk exporting ports. The transhippers become an extension of the port’s loading and unloading process and works to optimise offshore loading performance.
“We can offer an integrated solution, so our customers can outsource all aspects of the transshipment operation to us, including design, supervision during construction or conversion and on-site management,” added Cuccurullo.
Projects the team have managed in the past include transhipping coal from Maracaibo Lake in Venezuela; designing and managing two sophisticated custom built supramaxes in Africa, which enabled the transportation of coal from shore to an anchorage 25kms offshore to load onto ocean going vessels as well as projects in Italy and Russia.
