Guttridge local MENA support leads to supply of grain handling systems to one of Egypt’s largest grain importers

Guttridge, in partnership with Alghonemy Trading, are pleased to have received a substantial order from one of Egypt’s largest grain storage companies. The project is based at Alexandria Port, Alexandria, Egypt, where a refurbishment of the company’s port facilities is underway. The storage facilities and handling throughput is being increased from 120 tonnes per hour to 300 tonnes per hour. Guttridge staff and representatives have been offering local support to our MENA customers and contacts from our representative office in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, since its opening in 2012. They are available to offer advice about grain handling systems, drawing on 50 years of experience in the bulk materials handling industry and this local support is leading to opportunities to manage large projects such as this Alexandria Port development.  Alghonemy Trading have been working with Guttridge over a number of months on the project and have been instrumental in securing the order and also have responsibility for installing the equipment.

Egypt is currently the world’s largest grain importer, with total cereal import requirements predicted at 18.2 million tonnes in 2014-2015, an increase of approximately 5% from 2013-2014.* This accounts for almost half of the country’s annual cereals requirement. The need for increased imported cereal reserves has led to a growth in demand for grain storage and handling facilities across the supply chain from ports to centralised grain storage facilities. Alexandria Port is the main port in Egypt and handles over 75% of the country’s foreign trade.

Guttridge are supplying heavy duty grain handling equipment to integrate with the existing ship unloading system. Custom built bucket elevators, chain conveyors and other associated ancillary equipment have been specified, all designed to accommodate the challenging requirements. The bucket elevators were required to elevate wheat to a height of 57m. To provide a stable solution, the elevator head pulleys and bearings will be supported directly from the top of the existing concrete building structure. Each chain conveyor required bend sections and were built with multiple outlets to feed a system of silos. The heavy duty equipment is built to handle 300tph to match the throughput of the ship unloading system.

* Figures quoted from the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations –“FAO GIEWS Country Brief on Egypt” June 2014 www.fao.org (Accessed 19-09-14)