Krupp Canada’s Eco Shiploader

at Collahuasi, Chile, Protects

the Environment
L INDA F REDERICK , Krupp Canada, Inc., Calgary, Canada

ABSTRACT
rupp Canada’s radial quadrant shiploader for

K Compañia Minera Doña Inés de Collahuasi in

Chile deposits copper concentrate into vessels
in an environmentally friendly and efficient manner. The
shiploader conveyor is integrated into an enclosed
tubular gallery, which acts as a structural member of
the shiploader conveyor. The combined gallery/conveyor
is capable of performing the essential shiploading
functions, specifically to shuttle, slew and luff. The
shiploader can accommodate bulk carriers ranging in
size from 10,000 dwt to 60,000 dwt. The enclosed gallery
allows for superior environmental protection and
eliminates the possibility of spillage of copper concen-
trate into the ocean. All components are designed to
withstand the harsh marine operating environment and
to provide efficient and friendly operation (Figure 1).

The protection of our environment is a major concern

for responsible people around the world. This includes
marine terminal operators who are becoming more
concerned about minimising spillage and dust pollution.
In addition, the elimination of these wastes reduces costs.
The copper export terminal for the Compañia Minera
Doña Inés de Collahuasi at Caleta Patache is designed
to export up to 1,000,000 tonnes of dry copper concen-
trate per year. The port site is located in the First
Region of Chile, 65 km south of the City of Iquique. The
area is characterised by extremely arid conditions and
has a coastal environment. The copper concentrate
handled at Collahuasi is a material that is potentially poiso-
nous to marine life. Due to this it was essential that the
Collahuasi shiploader be designed with environmental
protection as a priority.
The mandate of Krupp Canada’s Eco shiploader was
not to minimise copper concentrate spillage, but to elimi-
nate it. The project was therefore dependent upon
the total elimination of any spillage into the sea. The
original shiploader design followed a traditional layout
but as 100% efficiency of the spillage protection
system could not be guaranteed, the shiploader was
redesigned at a higher cost but with complete protec-
tion to the environment.
The boom is a critical element of a shiploader’s design Figure 1 (top)
as it must reach across the ship’s side and over the hatch Collahuasi “Eco” Shiploader
(Figures 2 and 3). Its specifications, including reach,
Figure 2 (above)
weight and construction details, determine the
An elevated view of the
mechanical and structural requirements of every shiploader (1) in a loading
other part of the shiploader. Consequently its weight position adjacent to the vessel (2)
is very critical to the design of the entire bulk moored alongside the berth (3).
materials handling system. Due to this consideration, The feeding conveyor (4) supplies
conventional shiploader design practice is to arrange the shiploader
the cantilevered booms as lightweight structural
lattice beams.
A significant problem with conveying loose granular
materials, such as copper concentrate, along the exposed
length of the boom’s conveyor belt is that the material
is exposed to the environment. This renders it vulner-

P O RT T E C H N O L O G Y I N T E R N AT I O N A L 151
Figure 3 able to wind disturbance and spillage. In addition, if the
A view demonstrating the range copper concentrate on the conveyor belt has been
for discharging material into the disturbed by the wind, the conveyor will no longer be
holds (5) of the ship loaded uniformly and may result in further spillage of
the copper concentrate along the length of the belt. These
factors contributed to the importance of a protected enclo-
sure for the conveyor belt in the shiploading boom.
To accomplish total elimination of dust to the
environment, Krupp Canada designed a totally enclosed
tubular shaped boom, which also acts as a structural
member, for the shiploader in Collahuasi (Figure 3).
Within this enclosed boom several features were incor-
porated to ensure total environmental protection. A dust
collection system is in place at the transfer point from
the feeding conveyor to the shiploader conveyor. The lower
portion of the transfer chute is designed to discharge the
material well within the protection of the tubular enclo-
sure and between the loading skirts of the shiploader
conveyor. The loading skirts were designed to guide the
concentrate centrally onto the conveyor without spillage
and a minimum of fugitive dust.
In addition, during the maintenance periods that occur
Figure 4 between loading vessels, an industrial vacuuming system
A cross-sectional view of the provides the clean-up operation of any spillage within
tubular boom (6) showing the the gallery. Moisture contributes to the product having
belt conveyor (7) totally enclosed an undesirable adhesive nature, therefore the dry
within the boom and also the vacuum clean up was chosen, as opposed to water
walkway (8) for personnel access clean up.
The luffing action of the boom is used to insert the
chute into the ship’s hold below the hatch so that the
flow of copper concentrate from the chute is protected
from the wind (Figure 4).
A bulldozer is used to facilitate the spreading of the
product in the hold. To lower the bulldozer into the ship’s
hold it is suspended from a winch mounted on the
shiploader boom. In order to prevent spillage into the
ocean from the hoisting of the bulldozer, a debris tray
under the bulldozer is integrated into the spreader
system.
Included in the design are stringent specifications for
seismic control in order to maintain environmental
protection in the event of an earthquake. These
specifications are probably the severest in the world.
Figure 5
Collahuasi shiploader –
the painting was designed
by an artist to incorporate
INNOVATIVE FEATURES AND TECHNOLOGICAL
the company logo ADVANCES
Krupp Canada’s challenge was to design a shiploader boom
that would protect the environment and remain cost effec-
tive in design. The innovative solution was to design a
tubular gallery that encloses the conveyor, thereby
protecting the environment, while at the same time utilising
the gallery to provide the structural member of the
shiploader conveyor.
An enclosed conveyor that is in a stationary position
is not unique; however, an enclosed ‘mobile’ conveyor
is distinct. In the case of the Collahuasi shiploader the
conveyor is located in a boom that is required to have
a large degree of vertical and horizontal mobility.
In order to alleviate the problem of unprotected
product on the belt conveyor, a number of previous designs
have had varying degrees of success. Examples include
windshields in the form of removable cover plates,
belt scrapers and collection pans. The cover plate and
collection pans add undesirable weight to the boom, thus
affecting the overall design and increasing the costs of
the shiploader. In addition, they render inspection and
maintenance of the belt conveyor system more difficult.
Belt scraper designs are marginally effective and dribble
pans do not solve the spillage problem.

152 P O RT T E C H N O L O G Y I N T E R N AT I O N A L
 Figure 6
An elevated view of the
shiploader illustrating the convey-
or (9) inside the sealed tubular
structures of the shiploader boom
(6) and the interconnected
shiploader carriage (10 & 11).
The boom and carriage move
(shuttle) linearly along the bridge
(14) which is the supporting
structure that also provides the
slewing motion. The bridge is
pivotally connected to a rigid
structure (15) at the tail end and
supported at the head end by a
set of wheels (16) mounted on
the curved supporting rail (17).
Rotation around the pivot point
provides the slewing motion. A
vertical mast (12) is equipped
with a system of cables (13)
which may be actuated so as
nient access and facilitation for inspection and mainte- to enable luffing motions of the
nance (Figure 7). With ongoing inspection and tubular boom projecting over the
maintenance, future operating costs to the owner are cargo holds of the vessel (2)
reduced due to a decrease in downtime. moored alongside the berth (3)
Sandwell Engineering Inc. provided the technical
specifications and partnered Krupp Canada during the
shiploader design, fabrication and erection.

CONCLUSION
Krupp Canada’s ‘Eco Shiploader’ at Collahuasi, Chile
was installed and commissioned in the final quarter of
1998. Due to the comprehensive design of the totally
enclosed conveyor system, the shiploader combines
structural function with environmental protection to
completely eliminate any escape of the product. This
provides two positive effects. Firstly it protects the
fragile marine environment from a hazardous product.
Secondly, it provides cost savings to the owner, since there
is zero waste of product. The Eco-shiploader designed
by Krupp Canada takes responsibility to protect the environ-
ment and thereby protects the future for all of us.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Linda Frederick has a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the
University of Alberta. Her background includes an emphasis in
Marketing and Communications. She has worked in Marketing
Figure 7
for Krupp Canada since 1997.
The conveyor inside the boom

The loading boom is the most crucial component to

be designed, as it is the most exposed to the wind and IF YOU HAVE ANY ENQUIRIES REGARDING THE
its components determine the design of the rest of the CONTENT OF THIS ARTICLE , PLEASE CONTACT:
shiploader. It is also the most weight sensitive element
of the design. Krupp Canada designed a unique boom Linda Frederick, B. Comm
that is a sealed tubular structure containing the bulk Krupp Canada, Inc.
materials conveyor system. In addition, the tubular
Marketing and Communications
gallery acts as a structural member of the shiploader
conveyor and resists the high design forces from wind Suite 405
and earthquake conditions (Figure 6). 1177-11 Avenue SW
Although operation of the belt conveyor still causes the
Calgary
generation of fugitive dust and spillage, the conveyor is totally
enclosed within the tubular gallery. The enclosed tubular Canada
gallery also provides known air handling means for the dust
collection. Any spillage that does occur can be disposed
Tel: +1 (403) 245-2866
of as required, therefore accomplishing a zero pollution objec-
tive relative to the boom element of the shiploader. Fax: +1 (403) 245-5625
In addition, there is a personnel access walkway along E-mail: Frederickl@krupp.ca
the entire length of the conveyor belt allowing conve-

P O RT T E C H N O L O G Y I N T E R N AT I O N A L 153