Freight handlers flatten dust at Ukraine port terminal

The largest private stevedoring company in the Ukraine has significantly improved air quality and reduced dust-related complaints at the country’s deepest port, a busy marine terminal where ocean-going vessels have 24/7 access to services. The key is a mobile dust suppression unit designed to produce massive numbers of tiny water droplets that are specifically sized to attract dust particles, launching the atomized mist with a powerful oscillating fan that can cover nearly half a football field from a single location.
Situated on the Black Sea at Adzhalik Bay, about 24km south from the city of Odessa,TIS (TransInvestService Ltd) specializes in transshipment of coal, grain and fertilizers in bulk quantities. With the opening of its new coal handling berth at the end of 2008 — and a terminal that has the estimated capacity to move 10mt (million metric tonnes) per year — the facility greatly increased its already significant potential for dust.
“With the ability to handle such large quantities of dust- generating materials, we felt that some form of suppression had become a necessary element of port management,” observed Alexey Shlapakov from TIS. “We have specialized equipment for many of our operations, and we started doing some research on the available technologies for dust control. After comparing
features and benefits, we specified a DustBoss model DB-60,” he said.
The DB-60 is the largest design in the product family from Dust Control Technology (Peoria, IL), a specialist in this growing niche industry. The firm currently provides a number of electric models as well as hydraulically-powered units that are mounted on a frame for easy transport with a skid steer.
“Dust and odour management is becoming more critical all the time,” commented the company’s CEO,
THE FACILITY
The port has an average depth of about 14 metres and a quay wall that is more than 1,000 metres long. It features two shiploaders capable of handling 950 tonnes an hour and a portal crane with a lift capacity of 16 tonnes.
Situated on 500 hectares of land, the TIS facility has a loading capacity of up to 25,000 metric tonnes of coal per day, with warehouse storage for about 270,000 tonnes. It can also handle as much as 35,000 metric tonnes of grain per day, with warehouse storage for approximately 380,000 tonnes, and is equipped to load up to 25,000 metric tonnes of fertilizers per day, with warehouse space for about 270,000 tonnes. Company officials estimate that as many as 1,000 trucks can be loaded in a single day, or up to 250 railcars.
With that kind of capacity,TIS needed a dust control solution to match. The DB-60 is built around a powerful 25 HP motor that generates 30,000 CFM, giving the unit a reach of 200 feet or more and allowing it to cover as much as 21,000 square feet of area (1,950 square meters). It features 30 brass nozzles developed to atomize droplets to the optimum size for dust suppression — between 50 and 200 microns — and can be customized to suit specific particle sizes and operating conditions. The high-performance design includes an optional booster pump that delivers up to 200 PSI of pressure from a supply hose.
“We noticed the effects of the DB-60 right away,” Shlapakov continued. “The air quality was noticeably improved, with a definite reduction in fine airborne particles. We soon found that dust-
related complaints had also dropped. The unit has proven its value in service, under some very difficult conditions, and has met all of our expectations.”
TIS is the Ukraine’s largest private stevedoring company, located at the nation’s deepest freight harbour. Situated on Adzhalik Bay, which never freezes, even the largest ocean vessels have unrestricted access to services around the clock. The firm is equipped with grab loaders, 11km of conveyors and other specialized equipment, earning it a reputation for rapid turnaround times.
Dust Control Technology is a renowned provider of effective dust and odour control solutions for demolition, construction, recycling, transfer stations, composting
facilities, mining operations, wood processing and scrap industries. The company’s Dust Boss® product line helps reduce labour costs, freeing up manpower for more important tasks. The automated units also use less water than hoses and sprinklers, with some customers realizing payback in less than six months and netting an annual cost savings of more than $50,000.