EMO, in the Port of Rotterdam, unloads about 35 million tons of bulk cargo a year, split between 20 million tons of coal and 15 million tons of iron ore. Six million tons were stored at the facility when we visited in mid-October; about three million of iron ore and the same volume of coal, according to Dick A. van Doorn, Managing Director of EMO. The iron ore is shipped to steelworks in Europe, and the coal is mostly for electrical power plants, making EMO an important part of the European energy supply chain.

A port-friendly bulk carrier is a vessel with cargo holds designed for easy discharging. This means that there should be no areas where the cargo will remain after being discharged mainly by grabs. Getting out the remaining cargo – that sticks for example between the side shell frames – is a cumbersome work, which could easily damage hold, structure and plates of the vessel.
“We have not yet charged owners extra if the ship has to remain an extra day or two in port in order to get the remaining cargo off the vessel,” says van Doorn. “But this is a topic we will have to look further into, and we will create a more sophisticated rate structure for the future. With the huge volume we handle, we cannot really afford to have a vessel occupying berth space for too long with others waiting to get in. So any initiative to make the discharge of bulk cargoes flow better is welcome,” says van Doorn. “A push towards design in active discussions with the owners will result in getting the right vessel for the right cargo.”
Some facts about one of EMO’s quays for unloading sea-going vessels: It is 1,280 metres long. It can handle drafts of 23 metres, meaning vessels up to 350,000 dwt. It has two 50-ton grab unloaders, an additional two 85-ton grab unloaders, and a 116 ha storage facility.

Date: 08 February 2008