On 21 September 2017 the 5th annual Port technology and equipment: effective investment conference took place as part of the NEVA-2017 exhibition.
Morstroytechnology’s Technical Director, Vladimir Pogodin, gave a presentation on the advantages of using a mobile system of transporting bulk cargoes in specialized containers, along with the factors constraining the technology’s expansion.
Transporting dry bulk cargoes in containers with special hatches or doors reduces losses resulting from transport by rail and provides a significant reduction in environmental impact. During rail transport, each short wagon loses around half a tonne of coal for each 500km travelled: across the entire Russian rail network, it is estimated that between 3 and 5 million tonnes of dry bulk cargo of all types is lost each year.
If dry bulk cargoes such as coal and ores are delivered in containers, they can be stored closed, thereby minimizing outlay on dust protection, which only has to be provided during cargo-handling operations. To achieve this, all that is required is a mobile dust-reduction system. Containers also allow for the possibility of door-to-door delivery.
Admittedly, implementation of technology of this type demands specialized containers and handling equipment at the freight terminals. For now, there are no general railway standards to cover this, although it would be possible to organize shipments using the technology available locally.
Internationally, there is a number of examples of the use of these technologies (Australia, USA), and in Russia it has been tried at the Smart Bulk Terminal at Ust-Luga port.