VIGAN's key logistical role in the world's food chain
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Billions of tonnes of cereals circulate around the world every year to feed the world’s growing population. Grains are mainly carried in bulk by sea and via inland fluvial transport, and are then transported overland by truck or train, bringing the cargo to its final destination. This is where VIGAN comes in, by offering continuous ship-unloading and loading solutions, whether pneumatic or mechanic means. The main products handled by VIGAN equipment are all types of cereals and oilseeds, raw materials for animal feeding and products such as alumina, soda ash, chemicals and/or fertilizers. Free-flowing characteristics are important, but VIGAN has also developed technologies to handle products which may be slightly compacted, such as soybean meal. VIGAN’s expertise also includes the handling of delicate products such as malt for breweries and cocoa beans for chocolate, as well as wood pellets and many other free-flowing cargoes. Indeed, VIGAN’s special handling technology preserves all the physical and chemical characteristics of the products during their transport. Challenges for the grain bulk logistics are: energy, labour and demurrage costs, while safeguarding the quality of the discharged product and ensuring reliability over long period in demanding environment. VIGAN offers tailor-made solutions to meet these challenges. VIGAN’s equipment offers a fast return on investment by optimizing the operational costs: ❖ low energy consumption: 0.6-0.8I<W per unloaded tonne; ❖ highly efficient cleaning of the vessel or barge hold: maximizing discharge efficiency (75% and more) leads to minimized demurrage costs; ❖ reliability results in low maintenance cost and time out reduction; ❖ durability (machines with a life expectancy of 30 years and more) and cost efficiency lead to long-term investment with short term pay-back; and ❖ ease of operation (simple high tech) means limited manpower and low operating cost. Since its creation in 1968, VIGAN has

SEPTEMBER 2018 www.drycargomag.com ENGINEERING & EQUIPMENT honed its CSU (continuous ship unloader) expertise, as well as its know-how and is thus able to advise its customers worldwide about efficient unloading operations. The vast majority — 99% — of VIGAN’s production is for the export market, helping not fewer than 100 countries to feed their populations. VIGAN: PARTNER FOR THE PHILIPPINES While it has an important place in global rice and corn production, the Philippines is not self-sufficient in terms of wheat, due to its climatic features, and it is therefore among the world’s...