Farmers play a critical role in global food production, but the processing and transportation make it possible to reach the entire world. Our global supply chain allows countries to export agriculture products they can produce at a surplus and import products they have difficulty meeting demand. This process would not be possible without port terminals capable of handling food products safely.

In 2018, Evrovneshtorg (EVT) opened a new grain port terminal in Mykolayiv, Ukraine. Bordering the Black Sea, the terminal serves as a strategic terminal for Ukraine’s grain trade, connecting the region’s main traffic and rail routes to the port. The terminal saw more than 1.5 million metric tons of cargo in 2019 including important commodities such as maize and cereals.

The fertile lands of Ukraine provide excellent soil for growing crops. The country strived to achieve the status as the “breadbasket of Europe” and with annual increases in agricultural exports, they are living up to this title. With growing traffic, the EVT terminal hit its capacity and required an expansion to keep up with demand. The company contracted AGI Hi-Roller to supply 20 grain silos for this project. With a combined capacity of 124,725 mt, the new silos will double the terminal’s storage capacity.

EVT also required a gentle and efficient method of handling and moving commodities around the terminal. With that in mind, AGI presented the benefit of an enclosed belt conveyor system. With more than 40 years of experience in the design and manufacturing of enclosed belts, AGI’s technology delivers a gentle, high efficiency and energy saving solution. The final plans included the installation for nine enclosed conveyors totaling 925 meters that would be used for both filling and reclaiming grain.

Due to AGI’s decades of experience, it has developed innovative equipment that has been installed in port facilities and grain terminals around the world. The company quickly understood the importance of protecting the steel used in its designs in these corrosive environments. Painted coatings can be easily damaged during transport or while in use. Damage creates voids in protection, making the equipment susceptible to rust and flaking, both of which are unacceptable in food handling. As a result, owners would need to enforce a strict maintenance schedule and quickly touch-up scratches, which is neither economical nor efficient. Therefore, AGI galvanizes the steel used in its conveyor systems and trunking due to its superior performance in harsh environments.

The success of this project relied on on-time delivery, which required extensive logistical planning. After material was hot-dip galvanized, it shipped to AGI in Sioux Falls, SD prior to heading to Mykolayiv, Ukraine. All shippers had a drop-dead due date in order for the containers to arrive at the shipping dock in time for loading. With the long transportation process overseas, quality galvanizing was integral in keeping material safe from the harsh environment on the container ship.

In addition, the galvanizer offers customers a digital product tracking system equipped with real-time order status notifications. This tool was extremely valuable as it allowed AGI to track orders from drop-off through delivery so they could effectively schedule loads to meet the demanding timeline.

This expansion project increases EVT’s annual grain export capacity to 3 million tons. Not only does this terminal allow more local farmers to sell and ship grain around the world, but it is also one of the largest employers in the community. By installing quality equipment, protected by hot-dip galvanizing, they will be able to provide high paying jobs in this region for generations.