Logistec helps create innovative ship-loading system

Logistec Stevedoring Inc. played an active role in creating an innovative ship-loading system in one of Canada's largest ports for a major iron ore producer.

The iron ore moves by rail from a mine located about 400 kilometres north of Sept-Îles to a handling and storage facility in the port's Pointe-Noire sector. But water depth at the terminal's berths is not sufficient enough to accommodate the Capesize vessels that are used to ship the iron ore to markets overseas.

"The solution was to come up with a self-unloading shuttle service,” said George Di Sante, Logistec's vice-president of market development.

Logistec loads a 30,000-tonne belt-type self-unloader that sails from the terminal and then transfers the cargo into a Capesize ship anchored in the nearby deeper waters of the Bay of Sept-Îles. The procedure is repeated until the Capesize vessel is completely loaded.

Logistec is also responsible for the trimming operations on the Capesize vessel. With a mobile crawler crane mounted on the `buffer' barge that rests between the self-unloader and the Capesize vessel, and two front-end loaders, Logistec ensures that each hold is properly trimmed before the Capesize vessel can sail.