New method to load bulk salt
A new method is now applied in the manner bulk salt is loaded into bulk carrier ships in the port of Walvis Bay. Namport communications manager Tanà Pesat explained in a statement this week a shipment of 25 000 tons of bulk salt was loaded by skip-method at the beginning of August, as opposed to the traditional conveyor-belt system employed for many years already at the bulk terminal.
In a statement Pesat said an increase of 100 % in bagged salt handling in the port of Walvis Bay was recorded for the 2016/2017 financial year and bulk salt handling increased by 10%.
The full statement reads:
“The Namibian Ports Authority (Namport) handled about 25,000 tonnes of bulk salt destined for the United States of America. The operational method that was used to load the salt into the vessel makes it the first of its kind for the Port of Walvis Bay.
Normally, bulk salt is loaded into the vessel’s hatch with a conveyer belt. With this shipment, salt was loaded on site into skips and transported by trucks to be discharged into the vessel’s hatch. This operation took 3 and half days to load into the bulk carrier “Loveland Island”. The vessel depar-ted on Saturday, 5 August 2017 and the estimated time of arrival within 21 days.
Mr Pine Van Wyk, Managing Director of the supplier company Gecko Namibia Pty Ltd, said that the company chose the skip method for loading the salt as it proved to be cost effective. More salt shipments will take place during the year and are destined for various countries such Canada, Brazil, Europe, USA and other African regions. Exported commodities for the Namibian Ports Authority financial year that has ended (2016/2017) has shown significant increase is bagged salt by 100% & bulk salt by 10% respectively. Industries linked to Namibian salt will show positive growth indicators in terms of revenue and job opportunities for ordinary Namibians in comparison to other industries such as mining that have shown a noteworthy decrease in throughput capacity.
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