Pi ndulo Logistics has made significant strides in revolutionising the loading of mining commodities at the Port of Walvis Bay, where the company has managed to reduce loading times and boost volumes.Taking pride in its innovative approach and leveraging various proprietary patented tools and technologies, Pindulo is living up to its name, which directly translates to solution finders. The multiple solutions the company has introduced have enabled it to optimise asset utilisation, reduce its carbon footprint, and ultimately deliver cost savings to clients.According to general manager Armand Eksteen, their commitment to innovation and efficiency has been instrumental in their success.“We are a relatively new outfit in Namibia, having only been operational for about a year, and are one of only a few service providers offering end-to-end solutions. This holds many benefits for our clients as they are dealing with one company from start to end where there is a constant focus on investing in innovative technologies and tools to enhance our logistics services, ensuring that we remain at the forefront of the industry,” he told Freight News.One such solution is a patented, closed skip and spreader system that facilitates an environmentally friendly method for vessel loading during stevedoring operations.“This self-contained unit has increased loading speed onto vessels by around 300%,” said Eksteen, indicating that while a standard loading operation of a vessel can take up to five days, the Pindulo operation completes the same process in around 30 hours.“This brings massive benefits to all the stakeholders, not only our clients. It has a major impact on the vessel line as berthing time is significantly reduced, along with the ocean freight cost. It also impacts the Port of Walvis Bay itself as it can increase vessel throughput and has a more efficient turnaround.”The unit, which is attached to a ship-to-shore crane, can handle around 36 tons per crane swing. This allows the loading of just about any bulk commodity much faster. On average, around 2 500 tons are loaded onto a vessel per 24-hour shift, but with this patented unit, this increases to around 8 000 tons during the same period. Pindulo has pushed the boundary further and averages around 10 000 tons da ily.“We designed the unit to meet specific contractual requirements for a client. It has proven hugely successful, and we are expanding its use to other clients,” said Eksteen.The unit, consisting of a skip and a tilter, is designed to load minerals such as copper, nickel, zinc, coal, iron ore and manganese, but Tautinge Festus, business development director of Pindulo Logistics, points out that it can also handle all bulk food-grade products.Eksteen said that due to the bespoke design, the unit had a further benefit in that no commodity was lost during transport to the vessel or loading, which meant no quayside clean-up was necessary. In addition, it was also efficient in terms of cost and time. “It has reduced the labour component by around 50%. The operation is also far safer, with much less risk of human error.“Logistics service providers are pressured to develop new solutions to deliver faster and more efficient services. We invest a lot of time and effort into finding bespoke solutions for our clients to meet their specific needs and remain a step ahead of our competitors.”Pindulo currently operates 24 skips and two tilters, but plans are already in place to expand the solution with a second and third phase planned.
