Handling of hazardous materials now safer: The Bruks Siwertell 4S system aims to minimize the risk of explosions during sulfur unloading
Revolutionizing sulfur safe handling with Bruks Siwertell technology: an Indian success story
(based on Bruks Siwertell Sales Director, Bulk Terminals Jan Karlsson article 07.04.2025)
As the sun rises over India’s bustling ports, a quiet revolution is taking place in how operators handle one of the world’s most critical, but challenging, commodities: sulfur. Vital for the production of fertilizers that sustain India’s agricultural heartlands, along with numerous other essential industrial processes, the efficient, environment-friendly, and safe handling of sulfur is paramount to sustainable growth.
Enter enclosed, screw-type Bruks Siwertell ship unloading technology, a name synonymous with innovation and reliability in dry bulk handling, including its capability to transform a port from an environmental, safety and efficiency perspective.
Traditional methods of sulfur handling, often involving grab cranes and bucket chains, have numerous drawbacks, including exposure to the elements, potential for environmental contamination, pollution and health hazards from the inhalation of sulfur dust.
The corrosive impact of sulfur on dry bulk handling equipment can also be hugely problematic, along with its volatility and explosive tendencies once confined. In response to these challenges, PPL embarked on a research project to identify a solution that would not only enhance efficiency, but would also mitigate the risks associated with sulfur handling. Its journey led the company to Bruks Siwertell, and a customer partnership that would lead to the total transformation of one of India’s major ports, Paradeep.
The system is fully enclosed, submerging the counter-rotating inlet feeder beneath the level of the cargo, and enabling it to discharge entire shipments of sulfur without spillage, or dust clouds from avalanches within the ship’s hold. Transfer points within the conveyor are also sealed to prevent fugitive sulfur dust.
Benefit hard to ignore. PPL saw the benefits of the use stainless-steel components throughout the dry bulk handling equipment to prevent corrosion and formation of ferrous oxide within the unloader. Furthermore, critical to all sulfur handling Bruks Siwertell ship unloaders, is the Bruks Siwertell Sulfur Safety System (4S); developed by Bruks Siwertell from decades of proven industry installations.
The 4S system aims to minimize the risk of explosions during sulfur unloading.
If an explosion does occur, it ensures the safety of operating personnel and the integrity of the machine by mitigating any potential damage.
The 4S comprises various safety functions such as fire prevention, detection, suppression, and extinguishment. It reduces the occurrence of an explosive atmosphere by minimizing dust generation. Also, sensors within the unloader stop its operation if hot and/or glowing material is detected within the conveying line. A suppression system relieves any pressure in the conveyors and at the same time, a fire-extinguishing system activates to put out any fire.
What followed was the elimination of pollution both to air and sea, yielding a marked transformation for workers at the terminal, and a new era of port operations, consigning the clouds of yellow dust to the past.
The screw-type ship unloader is able to seamlessly switch between its three essential dry bulk cargoes, handling sulfur at a continuous rated capacity of 1,600t/h, rock phosphates at 1,300t/h, and MOP at 1,000t/h, without requiring any additional measures to be taken between shipments.
A sustainable future together with Bruks Siwertell
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