Jumbo Shipping and Rio Tinto Cooperate in Once in 40 Year Event

Rio Tinto, world’s 3rd largest miner has recently upgraded its ship unloader at Tiwai Point Alumina Refinery. A unique and once in 40 year event for the refinery. Jumbo was selected carrier and transported the new ship unloader for Rio Tinto from Mina Saqr, UAE to Tiwai Point, New Zealand. The 35.4 meter high and 544 ton ship unloader was transported over 7,697 nautical miles in one piece. This was made possible by Jumbo’s heavy lift vessel Fairlane, with its 800t lifting capacity. The new ship unloader will replace the current 40 year old unloader.

Rio Tinto ordered the new ship unloader to optimize the turnaround times for vessels at Tiwai berth. The new ship unloader will be used to unload alumina and petroleum coke from vessels at the Tiwai berth and will be capable of discharging alumina at 1,000 tonnes per hour, compared to the current ship unloader’s alumina unloading rate of 280 tonnes per hour.

Jumbo engineered the lift and seafastening design of the ship unloader aboard the Fairlane. After a smooth loading in Mina Saqr the voyage to New Zealand took the northern route round Australia. This meant avoiding high forces on the vessel and its cargo at Cape Leeuwin and the perilous winter Southern Ocean.

Jumbo’s Fairlane arrived to a high profile welcome from the local Bluff population; people lined the bank as the Fairlane passed by only a few metres from shore. First the support structures were discharged at Bluff, then the vessel shifted across the bay to Tiwai Point export berth to discharge the ship unloader to its rail. Due to good cooperation the whole operation at both Mina Saqr and Bluff experienced zero delays and zero safety incidents.

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Source: Jumbo, September 15, 2011