British Steel’s £30 million investment in three huge new ship unloaders has been welcomed at Immingham Bulk Terminal.
The huge high capacity cranes will significantly enhance operations, ensuring a reliable and efficient flow of raw materials from the Humber port to the company’s manufacturing operations in Scunthorpe.
Rail-mounted, and described as world-class, the Tukan unloaders were built in Germany by Kocks Ardelt Kranbau, and transported across the North Sea on specialist heavy-lift vessels, installed directly in a delicate operation.
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Rob Draper, British Steel’s port manager at Immingham Bulk Terminal, said: “It’s fantastic to see these impressive machines at Immingham, their scale is truly awesome. It’s exciting to start embracing the new technology they offer and there is no doubt they’ll be hugely beneficial to our efficient unloading activities.”
The cranes were originally ordered by Associated British Ports in early 2019, in a brief period when the port owner took back the terminal from British Steel.
Under the failed Greybull regime, it had let go of control citing a focus on core steelmaking operations. Within six months British Steel was placed in compulsory liquidation with Jingye swooping. It completed the purchase in March 2020, and had reversed the decision to hand back to ABP in the August. A commitment was then underlined to the order.
The three mammoth unloaders replace machinery dating back to the Seventies, and will handle millions of tonnes of iron ore, coke and coal annually, with the terminal despatching by rail to the works.
“These Tukan cranes are a real step forward for our port operations,” Mr Draper said. “They’re equipped with the latest technical advances in dig depth optimisation, a system designed by Ardelt engineers to ensure continuous peak performance and eliminate inefficiencies.
“They also have an operating radius designed for the largest dry cargo ships, and with their ability to slew [rotate] too, they’re much more flexible – and that brings huge advantages during vessel cleaning, grab changes and maintenance.”
As well as the latest technological advances to handle large volumes of material much more efficiently, they have lower electrical demands compared to their predecessors.
It follows major investment in container-handling by ABP with electrification of plant part of the decarbonisation strategy.
The unloaders are just one of a series of investments made by Jingye Group, totalling around £330 million. Others include £54 million in a new billet caster at the company’s Scunthorpe site, a £26 million mast service centre for British Steel’s Special Profiles business in Skinningrove and £14.6 million invested to enhance the company’s energy operations including improvements to recycling works-arising gases and electricity generation.
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