Outdoor shiploader of salt producer Nobian again in top condition

Nobian produces over two million tonnes of salt every year in the Port of Delfzijl, close to the Wadden Sea. The quayside external shiploader, which they use to load the salt onto barges, was in urgent need of renovation. Using rope techniques, ALTRAD SERVICES Benelux de-rusted and painted the outside shipper in just three weeks. Thanks to the maintenance work, the shipper can last much longer.

Challenging conditions

Ain't no mountain high enough, Marvin Gaye once sang. Well, those lyrics say it all about this job. Because despite the constant, strong sea wind, difficult accessibility and the presence of chemicals at the Chemie Park, we managed to get Nobian's outdoor shipper back in top shape. Good for 1174 man-hours in 3 weeks.

Stringent safety measures

Project leader Jarno Bergsma: "Due to the constant contact with salt, there was corrosion on the shipper. Our team de-rusted the metal and provided a new protective layer. And that had to be done with the utmost caution. Because the old coating contained a rust inhibitor that could be harmful to health. Imagine again that we were at a great height, above the water and with a strong wind. So for this job, we took strict safety measures. Our people wore protective suits and we stretched safety nets under the shipper 100 metres long."

The environment is, of course, another factor to which great attention was paid during this assignment. Thus, the team removed the old coating by placing a cloth in the safety net so that no waste could fall into the Wadden Sea. The chemical waste was transported separately to an approved waste processing company and the classic diesel compressor was replaced by an electric compressor.

Rope access: fast, safe and flexible work at height

In hard-to-reach places, such as this shipper on the waterfront, scaffolding is not an option for working at height. With rope access or industrial rope techniques, we can still carry out work such as painting, maintenance, repairs and inspections quickly and safely. And so, following IRATA guidelines, our ALTRAD team realised yet another great project.

ALTRAD team

o Project manager: J. Bergsma

o Foreman/construction painter: J. Vos

o Rope Access team