The bulk and liquid piers, are located in the southern part of the Port, the systems are fully computerized and operate under the most stringent safety requirements. The bulk facility is responsible for the export of minerals from Israel to Europe and America (except for acid to Asia and India).
The bulk facility operates 24 hours per day in 4 shifts under the “warm seat” method. The capacity of the warehouses is about 1 million tons and it includes additionally, a pool and acid tanks.
The facility has two piers for potash and phosphates and 4 for the loading of acid. The work rate at the bulk piers is between 500 and 1,200 tons per hour, in accordance with the type of cargo.
The work process
Minerals such as potash and phosphates arrive at the port by train. The cars are unloaded automatically by the computerized systems, unloading is controlled from the control room.
Phosphates are unloaded in the port and transferred to the back of the port. Sulfur, used in the process of acid production and grained phosphate, arrive at the port by ships, unloaded and transferred to the factories, and from there, back to the port, as a finished product for export to the entire world.
Capacity and pier depth
On the piers are three cranes to load the ships. On Pier 11 and 12, the cranes are equipped with dust suppressors, to meet the environmental quality control requirements.
The quantities conveyed thru the facility are between 3.5 and 4 million tons annually.
The capacity of the acid pool is 25 thousand tons and in the acid tanks 20 thousand tons.
The depth of the piers:
Pier 11 – 11.5 meters
Pier 12 – 12.5 meters
The size of the ships at the docks: – from 2,000 to 6,000 tons. The facility can handle up to 4 ships at the same time.