B Port is a multi-purpose bulk and breakbulk terminal in the Freeport of Riga, handling a wide range of goods from wood pellets and fertilizers to timber, grains, and peat.
With plans to expand their operations, they sought out a solution to increase their ship-loading productivity to 2,000 tons per hour. To make that happen, they required non-standard conveyor equipment to serve Panamax ships.
Loading challenges
With a maximum draft of around 12 meters, Panamax vessels can carry substantial cargo volumes – but only if loading operations are optimized.
The terminal’s shore-based conveyor system couldn’t reach far enough into the river to load these vessels to full draft in a single operation.
Instead, loading had to be carried out in two stages:
- Initial loading to a limited capacity, ensuring the vessel didn’t exceed safe draft limits near the shore.
- Final topping-off once the vessel was positioned deeper in the river.
This led to longer loading times, additional vessel maneuvering, and reduced operational efficiency.
To eliminate this bottleneck, the new conveyor system had to be installed on concrete piles in the river, extending the loading point beyond the shoreline.
Solution
SmartTEH engineered a custom conveyor line designed specifically for the terminal’s infrastructure and river conditions.
The system includes:
- A 112-meter-long conveyor line, purpose-built to bridge the gap between shore and vessel, extending the terminal’s effective loading reach
- Installation on concrete piles in the river, extending the loading reach and enabling single-stage, full-draft loading
- A liftable final conveyor section, allowing vessels to safely moor directly underneath the structure
- A high-performance weighing bunker, ensuring accurate, real-time cargo measurement during loading
Ship loading conveyor for Panamax ships
Results
- Single-operation loading of Panamax ships to full draft
- Reduced vessel turnaround time
- Less maneuvering and lower operational risk
- Higher terminal throughput
Together, these advantages enable B Port to maximize operational efficiency, handle larger cargo volumes with greater safety and precision, and deliver faster, more cost-effective vessel servicing.
