WASHINGTON: Testing of an innovative dry bulk container has started at the container terminal of MSCC Bronka (Multipurpose Sea Cargo Complex Bronka, Big Port St. Petersburg), says press center of Fenix LLC (MSCC Bronka investor and operator). The container designed by YUNA LLC is being promoted by КОТТА Container under cooperation agreement with MSCC Bronka. All the three companies are headquartered in Saint-Petersburg. The container and its application technology ensures high efficiency of dry bulk cargo transportation by railways, accumulation at ports and transshipment to vessels without construction of a dedicated terminal. The container complies with the requirements of Russian Railways and is compatible with standard container handling equipment. Dry bulk shipload depends on the number of containers, area available for stacking and the depth at berths. Two ship-to-shore cranes can load up to 20,000 t per day. According to the statement, the technology involving innovative containers will let Baltic ports of Russia, including MSCC Bronka, take over Russian cargoes currently handled by conventional method at the ports of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Aleksei Shukletsov, Executive Director of Fenix LLC, says the project is interesting since no additional investments are required for port infrastructure and crane facilities. It contributes a lot to the prospects of attracting different types of export dry bulk cargo to Russian ports featuring no full-scale facilities of dedicated bulk terminals. “For example, it can be used for fertilizers. This experience is very important for Bronka, as an advanced innovative platform, since it lets develop the technologies and open up new opportunities for the Russian market of transport and logistics services”, explained Aleksei Shukletsov.
Among other advantages of no little interest the statement emphasizes the environmental aspect of the new technology allowing eco-friendly ports like port Bronka handle cargoes of high pollution risk without damage to the environment. The hermetic container has no side doors or hatches. The top door is opened/closed right above the hold to minimize berth contamination. For unloading the container is rolled along the longitudinal axis. Due to no square corners in the load compartment and large area of the discharge opening (90%), cleaning operations are minimized or unnecessary (for some cargoes). With today’s capacity of railways, MSCC Bronka can accept and transship to Panamax ships pilot batches of such cargo. Final conclusions related to shiploads will be made upon completion of technological testing of the container, consulting with logistics and ecology experts as well as negotiations with potential cargo owners. The testing is to be completed in April 2017. These 1СХ containers complying with the ISO and GOST requirements can be fixed on container platforms with special devices and carried in double-stack units, thus ensuring high load per unit length. Minimization of yard services (loading/unloading waiting time) is also an advantage when it comes to acceleration of rolling-stock turnover. The frame of the container made of steel has undergone preliminary trials in compliance with the programme and methods approved by Russian Maritime Register of Shipping. The frame does not contact the transported load. The compartment inside the frame is made of corrosion-resistant materials. Depending on cargo it can be made of water-resistant laminated ply-wood, aluminum alloys, stainless steel, plastic.
