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From ship to shed
01 Apr 2007
A new cement import facility at the Port of Blyth will feature direct pipe discharge from ship to shed. The port has converted one of its newest warehouses on Battleship Wharf for storing cement, and constructed a silo for loading to trucks.
“Cement will be coming from various European sources, and the facility has the potential for handling 100,000 tonnes a year,” says Port of Blyth chief executive Martin Lawlor. “The majority will be ready to use but we are looking at whether we can go down the line to doing blending either on or off site.”
The environmental considerations of this development were relatively simple at Blyth, he says. “We are talking about a very modern warehouse that was designed for bulk products, so before we started we were in a good position. The operation does require specific licences and strict controls, but our facility is a good distance from housing and all the cement is going through pipework, so there is no grabbing.We have spent a fair bit of money on further adapting the warehouse and on the silo to minimise dust from outloading.”
