Curacao`s New Terminal

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by Industrial Accessories Company (IAC), USA

Industrial Accessories Company (IAC) of the US has helped a modern cement terminal based on the island of Curacao, Antilles, solve a number of problems with delivery of its super sacks, by installing a turnkey terminal project. This article details the project scope and explains how the new designs successfully took into account having to meet important environmental requirements specific to the local environment.

MMC, has a mining and ship load-out facility loacted at a deep water port at Fuikbay on the island of Curacao, Netherlands Antilles. The Curacao facility consists of a limestone rock crushing operation at the port and an integrated cement building block production plant located inland. Both commodities are exported by MMC throughout the Caribbean region.

The problem

Cement raw materials for the block plan were previously received in 2500 lb. super sacks. which were unloaded at the dock and processed into a single holding silo. Trucks from the block plant would be filled from the silo. However, large "softball" sized clinker (6.8in) were commonly found in the super sacks received from barges. This situation caused difficulties at the port storage facility as well as at the block plant.

IAC solution

Production downtime and multiple equipment breakages became a common, daily occurrence. Therefore, MMC made a decision to purchase (on a design/build basis) an automated, environmentally- friendly cement terminal capable of offloading incoming cement barges, storing and disbursing to a fleet of block plant cement trucks.

The strategy required substantial storage capacity to provide for a minimum two-week safety stock, with storage capacity to receive and store an entire ocean cement barge load in addition to maintaining a safety stock capacity.

Project scope

The terminal consisted of two bolted 39 ft. diameter x 101 ft. tall bolted silos. Each with 50 deg. hopper bottoms. One silo would be dedicated to a truck drive-through fill station, and a second silo to provide storage and transfer holding capacity. The second silo would replenish the adjacent drive-through silo on a call basis.

The environmental requirements for the new terminal were extremely important to the Curacao government, as well as MMC management, due to the fact that soon after the cement terminal project`s purchase order was issued, a resort development was approved for a beachfront property area adjacent to the new terminal location.

The structural and civil requirements also dictated that the required the terminal design had to withstand Category 5 hurricane force winds.

A total turnkey effort

The project was truly a total turnkey effort due to the fact that materials. tools, and required consumables were not always readily available on the island. Therefore, 100% of the equipment, complete through the construction barricade tape, was provided by IAC from the US mainland.

IAC, Mission, Kansas, was awarded the turnkey project out of six US and European bidders as the design/build company.

IAC designed and supplied two Columbian Tec Tank (CTT) skirted silos: one drive-through with truck load-out, and the second silo with pneumatic conveying capabilities.

IAC`s design/build scope of work started at the barge unload port (150m for the bulk storage location) and continued through the truck load-out and dispatch.

Due to the stringent air quality requirements and a wide spectrum of air flows into the silos, a unique, two-stage filtration system consisting of one oversized IAC Pulse-Jet Filter and two vacuum fans with VFD motor drives were utilized. Vacuum and pressure readings were monitored and sent to the IAC PLC automated control system, which then controlled fan air flow and static pressure through the dual air movement fan system. The goal was to not allow over 1/2 psig at the top of the silo, nor greater than 20 in. wc vacuum. This optimum range, together with PTFE filter bags, has been successful in providing a dust-free environment throughout the local resort and mining areas during all terminal operations.

Also of note, is that the two Columbian Tec Tank bulk storage silos used in this project were the largest hopper bottomed silos that CTT had ever produced.

Equipment

Cement can be transferred from the bulk carrier ship through a 10 in. line directly into the silos with a total storage capacity of 5500 T.

The terminal has an automatic control steering system consisting of three groups: filling, transfer and discharge. The bulk trailer drives from under the highest situated silo and is filled by a ventilated load-out spout.

The air pumps and filters can be directed for each group separately and/or simultaneously. From the central positioned control panel, the operator can monitor the process. The entire system has electronic security and operates completely automatically after the start up of each group.

Environmental factors

The cylindrical part of the silos continues to the lower part of the foundation and at the same hole acts as a support. The conical part is adjusted on the inner part of the cylinder.

All required equipment is located in the empty space below the storage silos. The fans and blower fillers are located on the roof, and operate in an enclosed system and secure a perfect and dust-proof transfer operation of the loose powder product.

The transfer and discharge of this cement terminal is fully user-friendly and meets the high US and European standards of hygiene and environment. The color and location of the cement terminal harmonizes with the limestone quarry area with the Tafelberg in the background.