Although the festive atmosphere from the official ceremony to celebrate the start of NIBULON MAX’s operations, held at the international TRANS EXPO ODESA-MYKOLAIV 2019 Forum on September 20, is still in the air, the high-capacity vessel has already started to conduct its first task.  
 Today, NIBULON has loaded 8.5 thousand tons of new corn on its specialized floating vessel at its transshipment terminal for grain and oilseeds shipments in Mykolaiv.
 According to the company’s specialists, all the operations are carried out in a test mode at this stage. Thus, having been loaded with agricultural commodities, NIBULON MAX will make a cargo trip to the outer roads of Mykolaiv Sea Port, where it will transship corn from its own holds to the Panamax RB JORDANA vessel with the deadweight of 81,301 tons. At the same time, the 140-m floating vessel will complete loading of foreign vessels with additional corn from NIBULON’s non-self-propelled vessels. The loading operations in the outer roads of Mykolaiv Sea Port are about to start on October 11. Once loading is completed, RB JORDANA vessel will be bound for Egypt.  
 We would remind you that NIBULON MAX has two cargo holds with the capacity of 13,400 cubic meters. Cargo holds, equipped with hatch covers, are intended for transporting bulk and general cargoes. As the vessel has its own holds, it can operate its cranes continuously during mooring operations with non-self-propelled barges, which shortens the vessels’ load times. To maintain its cargo holds, as well as carrying out loading and unloading operations either at port or in the open roads in the sea, the vessel is equipped with the two CBG360 bow cranes (Liebherr-MCCTEC Rostock GmbH) with the maximum lifting capacity of 45 tons and the maximum outreach of 36 m. They are shifted 3,600 mm to the left from the central line. This will enable the company to perform loading and unloading of Panamax vessels. The cranes’ productivity is 18,000 tons per day.
 Starting its operation, NIBULON MAX floating vessel has considerably increased NIBULON’s fleet capacity. Now, in the outer roads of Mykolaiv Sea Port, where three NIBULON’s floating vessels (St. Mykolai self-propelled floating crane as well as Nibulonivets and Nibulonivets-2 non-self-propelled floating cranes) have operated previously, the company will be able to increase transshipment volumes considerably and to fully satisfy its needs. In 2018/19 MY, the company’s floating cranes shipped for exports 2.7 million tons of grain crops. The 140-m floating vessel’s operation will increase the annual loading volumes up to 5-6 million tons. This vessel will enable the company to use river cargo fleet in a flexible manner, acting as storage when foreign going vessels are available.