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Latvians can! An innovative bulk solution for handling services has been developed Developing Latvia’s export capacity requires local companies that are able to offer innovative goods and services to international customers with high added value. One such company is GRAVITI, a company that was established only two years ago, but already provides reliable, innovative products for more efficient, faster and more cost-effective handling of bulk cargo not only in major Latvian terminals and ports, but also in the international market, such as Georgia and In Russia.
PRODUCT — FROM LOCAL INNOVATION TO A GLOBAL OPPORTUNITY
The company offers self-discharging containers for handling bulk cargo such as minerals, grain or pellets. The main innovation of this product is the remotely opening bottom of the container, making it easy and quick to unload the cargo to its intended place. This saves a lot of time. For example, loading grain into the ship’s hold with the GRAVITI solution will be up to 70% faster. This type of transhipment also reduces CO2 pollution and saves up to 35% on unloading costs, which is especially important during a pandemic, as all companies are looking for ways to optimize OPEX and CAPEX. “Graviti discharging containers are suitable for most bulk cargoes, and they do not require special, additional equipment — a crane, a container grab can be enough. The opening of the container bottom doors is controlled remotely and closing is secured with the help of hydraulic cylinders,” says Dinis Khrushchev, one of the co-owners of GRAVITI. The system also allows two or more cranes to be used simultaneously during handling. A 30m2 container with common design and a transfer rate of 450tph (tonnes per hour) is available, saving 25% on loading costs, and a 40m2 container with a common design and a transfer rate of 650tphr, saving 35% on loading costs. Overall containers can secure 1.5 times more productivity than standard handling methods and are emptied in 30 seconds.
INNOVATIVE PRODUCT AUTHORS AND FEBRUARY 2022
THEIR CUSTOMERS
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Of course, such an innovative product would not have been possible without bright minds and great entrepreneurial spirit. The company was created just two years ago, combining advanced technical knowledge with a business vision. One of the founders of GRAVITI is a second-
GRAVITI self-discharging containers at "Riga Central Terminal" (RCT). generation metallurgist with an education in engineering, and the other is an entrepreneur-visionary. Combining existing knowledge, experience and creativity, they have created a solution that significantly (up to 1.7 times) speeds up bulk loading by optimizing routine operations in ports, terminals and international cargo handling markets. When the product was developed, the company started delivering the first containers to Latvian buyers. The first customer to believe in the GRAVITI project was the experienced stevedoring and cargo handling provider GS Stividoring Ltd., which purchased six 40m3 containers and quickly became convinced that they provided a significant advantage over competitors. In total, more than 30
containers were delivered to Latvian buyers and the company carefully monitoring their operations, during that time have not received any complaints about the performance of containers! Olegs Vonogs, Technical Director of GS Stividoring, said the company needed to come up with new solutions to optimize processes and reduce costs, and GRAVITI offered solution that increased handling speeds by 10-15% and reduced the cost of the entire process. “Transport costs also decreased, as we were able to reduce the number of trucks for cargo transportation, instead of moving containers with one port tractor. In general, the funds invested in the purchase of containers paid off within a year and a half.” The company’s representative also emphasizes the high
