Terex Port Solutions (TPS) installed a second Terex® Gottwald portal harbour crane in the terminal of Fospar S.A. Fertilizantes Fosfatados do Paraná (Fospar) in Paranagua, Brazil. In the port 300 km to the south of São Paulo, the Model 4 crane in the G HSK 4316 B variant supports an identical crane which was delivered in 2012. They are both used together to handle fertilizer on the finger pier of the terminal, where they have replaced two obsolete cranes.
Efficient technology provides potential for further development
Fospar operates the terminal in Paranagua controlled by Mosaic Fertilizantes Do Brasil Ltda. (Mosaic), the leading global manufacturer of phosphates and potash. With the two G HSK 4316 B cranes, which currently handle 2.5 million t of fertilizer a year, the company also sees itself as equipped for future growth, as Ronaldo Sapateiro, Port Manager at Mosaic explains: “The cranes unload seven to ten ships a month with an average of 30,000 t of fertilizer on board and even open up further potential for us in view of constantly increasing handling rates.” Furthermore, he continues that due to their compact construction, comparatively low weight and individual portal solution, it is as if they are made for the finger pier.
Dedicated grabs for fertilizer handling
The machines are tailored to on-site conditions with a track gauge of 12 m and a clearance of 7 m under the crane portal. The cranes offer a maximum lifting capacity of 33.8 t with a radius of 32 m and were delivered to Fospar by Terminal Full Dealer (TFD), TPS distributor in Brazil, with two dedicated mechanical grabs for the fertilizer. Rene Tarapanoff, Sales Manager at TFD, explains: “One grab can lift up to 14.7 m³ fertilizer with a density of up to 1.6 t/m³, the other is designed for 19.5 m³ of fertilizer with a maximum density of 1.2 t/m³.”
Efficient use of the crane thanks to specific training courses
To use the cranes as efficiently as possible, Fospar has made use of the training developed especially for crane operators and service employees by TPS. This is divided into two blocks including a theoretical and a practical part, as Tarapanoff explains: “Fospar’s service manager and three other employees participated in the theoretical training. A practical training course was also conducted on site when the crane was commissioned so that the crane operator and further service staff could learn about the machine.”
Adaptable portal solutions for various terminal infrastructures in demand worldwide
Terex® Gottwald portal harbour cranes are in demand worldwide for various terminal infrastructures, where they represent a cost-efficient alternative to bulk gantry cranes or continuous ship unloaders. Portal harbour cranes offer proven Terex Gottwald mobile harbour crane technology and allow unimpeded operation of road trucks, trains and, in the case of Fospar, conveyor belts underneath the portals. They can also be adapted to the respective infrastructure conditions. TPS has supplied many portal harbour cranes to customers around the globe. The track gauge of these cranes is between 10 and 20 m, depending on the environment, and the clearance between 4 and 8 m.