The new Sudeste super port being built by MMX in Brazil has taken delivery of two shiploaders built in China. The company has invested around $20 million in these machines, each of which can handle 12,000 tonnes of iron ore per hour. The shiploaders, which are rail-mounted, stand 50m high and weigh nearly 2,000 tonnes. Dock rails allow them to move a distance of up to 590m, thereby allowing them to operate across two adjacent berths.
Sudeste port is due to open later this year and both shiploaders will be deployed in the first phase of operation. Initially, the port will be able to export up to 50,000 tonnes of iron ore per year, with the shiploaders fed by a brand-new conveyor belt system that is also currently being installed. BC