THE GBHL ADVANTAGE
Benefits to the ocean carrier:
- Fast discharge of vessels leading to reduced vessel time in port.
- Ability to use bigger vessels for economies of scale.
- Reduced voyage time and costs for vessels.
Benefits to shippers/importers:
- Following improved ship turn-round time importers are able to negotiate for lower freight charges.
- Fast discharge and elimination of demurrage.
- Delivery/receipt of cargo in prime condition.
- Option of saving bagging costs by taking delivery in bulk. Saving estimated at up to US$ 10 per MT.
- Reduced inventory costs following improvements in vessel scheduling to meet market requirement.
- Reduced insurance cost following major reduction in commodity losses.
Benefits to the Port:
- Improve status following commissioning of specialised facility for handling bulk grain.
- Potential to recover bulk cargoes diverted to other ports.
- Better utilisation for appointed berth as it turns round high tonnage.
- Potential to penetrate non-traditional hinterland e.g. Ethiopia.
- Potential to attract transshipment traffic e.g The Indian Ocean Islands, Somalia.
- Recognition as a dispatch rather than demurrage port for bulk grain vessels.
Benefits to the National Economy:
- Attraction of hard currency lost when shipments, diverted to other ports, return to Mombasa.
- Attraction of hard currency following attraction of transshipment trade.
- Attraction of hard currency from extension of hinterland to non-traditional markets.
- Consumers may reap benefits of a low cost outlay across the board in reduced price of the finished products.
On the other hand service offered by GBHL ensures the following:
- Higher vessel discharge rate (maximum daily discharge rate of 14,000MT).
- Very low dust emissions posing no environmental pollution hazard.
- Minimal terminal tolerance loss allowance 0.05%.
- Better accounting for discharged and delivered quantities. Integrated scales and weighbridges ensure proper accounting of weights during discharge and delivery operations.
- Dust extraction for safety and enhancement of quality of delivered grain.
- The higher productivity of the system enables the importer to negotiate for lower freight rate.
- The low wastage enables the importer to negotiate for lower insurance premiums.
- The high productivity of the GBHL terminal enables the importer to schedule shipments according to milling requirement and achieve just in time deliveries thereby save on inventory costs.
- Encourage bulk deliveries so that the benefits of bulk transport of grain are not confined to the maritime transport sector but spread to inland transport as well.
Social Benefits:
- Accountability
During discharge, bulk grain is weighed electronically in batches at the tower house on the quay as it is conveyed to the silos. This way the rate of working can be monitored as well as the discharged quantity as the operation is in progress. The final tonnage discharged can also be determined to facilitate immediate accounting of actual quantity landed against the manifested tonnage. Customs and members of the public can monitor the scale from a window at the tower house on the quay apron. A print-out of the progressive weighing is given to customs after completion of discharge. The system ensures greater accuracy and reduced pilferage of grain handled through the GBHL terminal as it is weighed on discharge, on bagging or delivery in bulk and at weighbridges, road and rail, on exiting the terminal. Accountability in GBHL operation is a rule rather than an exception. - Protection of Environment
The entire operation and systems employed by GBHL are environment and user friendly. All discharged grain runs through an enclosed overhead discharge equipment and conveyors. Before entering the silos, the grain passes through a dust extraction device. - This is a safety measure. This is also repeated before deliveries. Importers using GBHL terminal therefore receive clean and dust-extracted grain from it. This way dust emission in GBHL operations is minimal. The operators of GBHL recognise the need to protect the environment and maintain a noise free, dust free and spillage free handling systems.
- Protection of Jobs
Rather than going full automation, GBHL has been conscious of the need to protect jobs by retaining some manual labour inputs in its operations. As a result, we have a workforce comprising of 180 permanent staff (skilled and semi skilled) with upto 450 contracted workers.
We also have staff upgrade training programs. - Reduced cost to Consumers
The operation of GBHL has influenced reduction of various costs associated with importation of grain. These should translate in reduced cost to the consumer of the finished product.
About Us
Previous page
Top of page