Bulk grain terminal to hasten discharging of cargoes at port

CEBU, Philippines - Oriental Port and Allied Services Corporation’s P250-million worth Cebu Bulk Grain Terminal was formally inaugurated the other day in time for its 20th anniversary as the only successful workers’ enterprise in the country.

Atty. Tomas Riveral, OPASCOR general manager, said the CBGT will enable them to operate at a discharging rate of 3,000 to 4,000 metric tons per day.

“At that rate, mas dali na makuha ang bulk cargoes instead of three days, mahuman na lang na in less than a day. The Cebu Port Authority is very supportive of this project that will bring more jobs and more economic development in Cebu,” the beaming Riveral said in an interview with the press.

With such productivity, the OPASCOR statement said vessel port time will significantly reduce and vessel chartering cost would be lowered.

The CBGT, which is a joint project between OPASCOR and the Cebu Port Authority is located inside the Cebu International Port, which is equipped with luffing cranes, clamshells, scrapper and bucket conveyors and three units conical steel silo capable of storing a total of 7,700 metric tons grain cargoes.

Aside from this, the facility has four bautomatic bagging machines that are capable of bagging 100TPH with an adjustable drop conveyor system that ensures bags are received at truck tail-end at a precise angle.

Thompson Lantion, Department of Transportation and Communication undersecretary for Maritime Affairs, said that the CBGT this will benefit not just the CPA but the entire economy of Cebu.

DOTC secretary Anneli Lontoc for her part said that the operation of CBGT would fast track the facilitation of bulk cargoes in Cebu, thus improving its economy and providing more jobs for the people.

The CBGT has also a warehouse with an initial capacity of 50,000 bags and a hopper with a flow rate of 100TPH (at the option of the cargo owner) and is also provided for withdrawals by bulk.

The said terminal is operated with new technology using human machine interface as its operation and are controlled and monitored through computers hooked to a programmable logic controller, the OPASCOR statement added.

OPASCOR, established in 1990, is the exclusive cargo handling service provider of the CIP and prides itself as the first cargo handling company to be fully-owned and operated by its workers. — THE FREEMAN