The completion of the Port Said Grain Terminal marks a significant milestone in enhancing Egypt’s food security and expanding its strategic infrastructure for grain storage and grain distribution. Cimbria’s expertise on this landmark project has facilitated the successful implementation of industry-leading technology and expertise, which supports sustainable growth in Egypt’s food supply chain.
Advancing Food Security in Egypt
The Port Said facility was designed and constructed to address critical food security needs for the rapidly growing Egyptian population. As Egypt imports millions of tons of wheat annually, innovative infrastructure is essential to ensure secure grain storage and efficient grain handling, to significantly strengthen the country’s grain stockpile capabilities, as well as protect against market fluctuations.
Positioned at the entry point of the Suez Canal, a key global trade hub, this state-of-the-art Grain Terminal now plays a vital role in managing imports and reducing post-harvest losses, particularly in the Canal Zone and the East Delta provinces.Cimbria’s cutting-edge turnkey solutions were essential to the project, reaffirming our commitment to building scalable, sustainable port terminal solutions for secure and efficient food processing worldwide.
Cimbria’s Technological Contributions
Our role as a trusted sub-supplier for the Port Said project brought our advanced machinery and systems to the forefront of the Grain Terminal’s infrastructure. Collaboration was essential to our success: working in close strategic partnership with Rowad Modern Engineering as the main contractor, we combined our technological expertise with their knowledge and capabilities.
Given the highly complex construction environment, the close collaboration of our local project manager with the local workers was crucial, supervising the project's organization and technical aspects. Their shared cultural understanding and language were instrumental in overcoming challenges and achieving outstanding results. This collaboration ensured all equipment was installed efficiently, despite space limitations and demanding project requirements.
Key delivered technological contributions:
- Grain Bins with Advanced Storage Management
Cimbria supplied eight state-of-the-art silo bins, each capable of storing 12.500t of grain, for a total capacity of 100.000t of grain storage.
These silos are significantly larger than the typical 5.000t capacity, a necessary choice due to limited available space, which mandated vertical construction. Designing and constructing silos of such a large scale required advanced engineering and innovative construction solutions, particularly to manage wind loads at considerable heights in a port environment.
Equipped with state-of-the-art storage technology, the bins are designed with advanced storage solutions to preserve the quality of the cereal over extended periods. With integrated safety measures and precision-engineered design, they ensure efficient grain management throughout each cycle, securing storage for an annual throughput of over 1.3 million tons.
- High-Capacity Conveyor Systems
The terminal design, particularly the conveyor systems, was developed in close collaboration with the supplier of the ship unloaders, Neuero Industrietechnik, to fully optimize operations based on their specific needs. Ship unloading is a critical and typically time-consuming process. Now in Port Said, discharge operations are reduced by at least half, significantly accelerating vessel turnaround. Furthermore, the terminal boasts two separate unloading stations and Jetty conveyors, offering immense material transport capacity suitable for port environments.
- Fully Electronic Control System
Built-in electronic control systems provide centralized management of the facility. Operators can monitor, adjust, and optimize operations in real time, allowing for precision control over grain handling and ensuring efficiency at all times. This innovative control system is very sustainable, contributing to reducing waste, improving handling speeds, and enhancing productivity.
- Modern Loading Equipment for Multi-Modal Transport
To ensure seamless transitions between storage and transportation, Cimbria supplied advanced loading equipment tailored to support both rail and truck logistics. Designed for high throughput and minimal downtime, this equipment facilitates the swift transport of grain to key regions across Egypt.
A defining feature of the facility is its exceptional efficiency and operational flexibility, made possible by the multiplicity of unloading options, including direct transfer from vessel to trucks, from vessel to storage, and storage to truck and rail. This versatility plays a key role in maximizing Grain Port Terminal efficiency and meeting the complex logistical demands of the port environment.
Looking Ahead
We're incredibly proud to have contributed such a pivotal part to this landmark project. By combining our innovative technology with strong local partnerships, we have delivered a grain handling port terminal that will safeguard Egypt’s grain reserves, enhance food security, and reinforce Egypt’s infrastructure for years to come.
Our commitment to precision, reliability, and sustainability remains the core of everything we do, and we look forward to continuing to support similar initiatives around the globe. The Port Said project is a clear example of our ability to deliver impactful, future-ready turnkey solutions, with the potential to shape the future of food security in growing economies worldwide.
Read more about our Port Terminal Solutions here.
