Export Terminal Grain Storage — North Africa

Project Summary

The challenge: The export terminal faced mounting pressure to meet vessel-loading deadlines during peak harvest season, with daily throughput demands exceeding 3,000 tonnes to keep pace with incoming truck deliveries and scheduled vessel calls. Existing storage infrastructure was fragmented, relying on outdated flat-store configurations that limited effective capacity to just 15,000 tonnes — less than one-third of the required volume. This bottleneck forced costly demurrage charges, with vessel waiting times averaging 48–72 hours and demurrage penalties reaching $15,000–$25,000 per day. The terminal also struggled with grain quality degradation: inadequate aeration and temperature monitoring across the flat stores led to spoilage rates of 2–3% on stored wheat, translating to an estimated annual loss of $300,000–$500,000 in product value. Cross-contamination between wheat and corn during rapid turnover cycles further compromised cargo quality and reduced market pricing. Dust management was another critical pain point — the open handling environment generated significant particulate emissions, putting the terminal at risk of non-compliance with tightening environmental regulations and threatening its operating license. The client needed a solution that could deliver 50,000 tonnes of safe, segregated storage within a compact footprint, support continuous vessel-loading operations at rates of 500 tonnes per hour, and integrate automated temperature and moisture monitoring to maintain grain quality throughout extended storage periods. With ROI expectations tied to eliminating demurrage costs and reducing spoilage losses, the project demanded a design that balanced capital efficiency with long-term operational reliability in the harsh North African climate, where ambient temperatures regularly exceed 40°C and sand infiltration poses persistent risks to mechanical equipment.

Our solution: Manxing engineered a complete bulk grain storage and high-speed export handling system tailored to the demanding requirements of North Africa's export terminal operations. The solution comprised twelve flat-bottom steel bins, each with an 18-meter diameter and 22-meter eave height, providing a net storage capacity of approximately 4,200 tonnes per bin and a combined terminal capacity of 50,000 tonnes. The bins were fabricated from high-strength galvanized steel panels with a 60-degree cone bottom to ensure mass-flow discharge of wheat, maize, and soybeans, minimizing residual grain and reducing cleaning cycles between commodity changeovers. Each bin was equipped with a full aeration system featuring high-volume, low-pressure centrifugal fans delivering 0.15 m³/min per tonne of stored grain, integrated temperature monitoring cables with 12 sensor levels per bin, and continuous inventory management through capacitance-probe level indicators. The material handling backbone consisted of a dual-belt conveyor network rated at 1,200 tonnes per hour, feeding a heavy-duty bucket elevator with a capacity of 1,500 tonnes per hour, enabling vessel loading rates that reduced average ship turnaround time by 35 percent compared to the terminal's previous configuration. The belt conveyors utilized 1,000mm-wide steel-cord belting with 315kW drive stations, while the bucket elevator featured a centrifugal discharge design with abrasion-resistant S355 steel housing and Kevlar-reinforced belts rated for 15,000 hours of continuous operation. A centralized dust suppression system with bag-filter units at all transfer points maintained emissions below 20 mg/Nm³, meeting international environmental standards for port operations. The integrated Manxing SCADA control system provided real-time monitoring of bin temperatures, conveyor speeds, bucket elevator alignment, and motor load profiles, enabling operators to optimize throughput while preventing equipment overload and grain spoilage. The system's modular design allowed phased commissioning, ensuring the terminal maintained partial operational capacity throughout the 14-month installation period. Based on the terminal's projected annual throughput of 600,000 tonnes, the Manxing solution delivered a calculated return on investment within 2.8 years, driven by reduced demurrage costs, lower energy consumption of 2.8 kWh per tonne handled, and a grain spoilage rate maintained below 0.15 percent annually.

The outcome: The Manxing-engineered 50,000-tonne grain storage facility at the North Africa export terminal delivered transformative operational outcomes. Vessel loading time was reduced from 18 hours to under 12 hours per 30,000 DWT vessel, effectively increasing the terminal's annual throughput capacity by approximately 35%. The 12-bin configuration, featuring 4,200-tonne capacity silos with integrated aeration and temperature monitoring systems, enabled the facility to handle peak-season volumes exceeding 8,000 tonnes per day without congestion or bottlenecks. Grain throughput at the receiving hoppers increased to 600 tonnes per hour, supported by Manxing's high-capacity chain conveyors and bucket elevators. The automated loading system achieved a consistent dispatch rate of 1,200 tonnes per hour, reducing vessel demurris by an estimated 40%. Post-commissioning, the terminal reported a 22% reduction in operational costs per tonne handled, driven by lower labor requirements and minimized grain loss. The project achieved full ROI within 3.2 years, exceeding initial projections by eight months. Dust emission levels were maintained below 15 mg/m³, meeting international environmental standards. The facility's modular design also allowed for future expansion planning, with structural provisions for an additional 6 bins to support anticipated demand growth of 15% annually over the next decade.

Project at a Glance

Equipment Provided

Grain Bins

Handling Equipment

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Project Timeline

Results

• ✓ The Manxing-engineered 50,000-tonne grain storage facility at the North Africa export terminal delivered transformative operational outcomes. Vessel loading time was reduced from 18 hours to under 12 hours per 30,000 DWT vessel, effectively increasing the terminal's annual throughput capacity by approximately 35%. The 12-bin configuration, featuring 4,200-tonne capacity silos with integrated aeration and temperature monitoring systems, enabled the facility to handle peak-season volumes exceeding 8,000 tonnes per day without congestion or bottlenecks. Grain throughput at the receiving hoppers increased to 600 tonnes per hour, supported by Manxing's high-capacity chain conveyors and bucket elevators. The automated loading system achieved a consistent dispatch rate of 1,200 tonnes per hour, reducing vessel demurris by an estimated 40%. Post-commissioning, the terminal reported a 22% reduction in operational costs per tonne handled, driven by lower labor requirements and minimized grain loss. The project achieved full ROI within 3.2 years, exceeding initial projections by eight months. Dust emission levels were maintained below 15 mg/m³, meeting international environmental standards. The facility's modular design also allowed for future expansion planning, with structural provisions for an additional 6 bins to support anticipated demand growth of 15% annually over the next decade.
• ✓ Delivered on schedule with full commissioning
• ✓ 50,000 tonnes total storage capacity

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