“This contract strengthens Siwertell’s position as the No. 1 in coal unloading,” said Per Karlsson, managing director, Siwertell. “Since 2000, the company has sold more than 50 coal unloaders. More than half of these have a rated capacity of 2,000 tons per hour (tph) or more.”
Siwertell will deliver a ST 940 DOB-type ship unloader on a turn-key basis. Designed to unload coal from vessels of up to 180,000 dwt at a rated capacity of 2,000 tph, it will replace an existing grab crane. It will also be used to unload salt at a rated capacity of 2,200 tph. The operator already has experience in Siwertell’s multicargo capabilities, as one of its existing unloaders is used to handle both of these commodities.
The power plant is co-owned by the Mai-Liao Power Corp. and Formosa Petrochemical Corp. (FPC). In addition to the five Siwertell unloaders in Taiwan, FPC operates one Siwertell unloader in China and one in the U.S. It also operates two high-capacity unloaders in Vietnam. Karlsson said delivery of these unloaders was a major market breakthrough for Siwertell, because they were the first dedicated coal unloaders provided for a steel production plant, offering massive operational savings for the owners.
The steel structure for the new unloader will be built in China, while other parts will be delivered from Europe. Final assembly will take place on site. The system should be operational by the first quarter of 2017.
