Today NIBULON, Ukraine’s agrarian leader, takes considerable share in Ukrainian export of majority of grain and oil crops in cultivation of which Ukraine specializes. The company is a pioneer in the opening of new product markets. In particular, last marketing year the company exported agricultural commodities to 26 countries of the world having continued the supply to such strategic directions as Libya, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Turkey, the European Community countries, Japan, Cuba, Great Britain and Ireland. Totally, for the whole period there have been shipped 127 vessels.
One of the important instruments of NIBULON’s successful export activity is its own cargo fleet, including St. Mykolai self-propelled floating crane built at SNC shipyard (Constanta, Romania). At present the crane is successfully operating in the outer roads of MykolayivSeaCommercialPort performing its main task – to load heavy tonnage vessels full.
Recently, we have celebrated our own victory; for the first time in its working biography, St. Mykolai has loaded Panamax vessel full in the roads without previous Panamax loading at the terminal.
The Guide motor vessel (port of registry – Panama, deadweight – 72,326 tons, length and breadth –  225 m and 32.2 m respectively) was being loaded in the outer roads of MykolayivSeaCommercialPort (Trutaev sandbank) from July 2 to July 11, 2014.
Accompanying by tugs, the vessel was in the roads on July 2. On completion of all the required procedures (customs examination, border opening, etc.), the process of loading was started. At the same time COTECNA surveyors was carrying out control inspection of grain.
The works consisted of three stages:
1. Preparatory stage: movement of the floating crane and non-self-propelled vessels from a place of their location to the sea vessel; opening of holds of non-self-propelled vessels; rolling of covers; the crane is prepared for operation, and loading schemes are developed.
2. The vessel loading is performed by St. Mykolai crane and 16 non-self-propelled vessels of the company.
3. Final stage: closing of covers of non-self-propelled vessels, unmooring, deck cleaning, stowing of holds of the non-self-propelled vessels; draft survey (weight determination); border closing.
On completing loading, the vessel, having taken more than 63 thousand tons of Ukrainian corn, was bound for port of destination on July 11.
By the way, St. Mykolai has been operating in the outer roads of MykolayivSeaCommercialPort since August 2013. During that period the crane has loaded full almost 912 thousand tons of agricultural products from non-self-propelled vessels.
According to the experts, St. Mykolai is the most productive transshipment floating crane in Ukraine that can replace up to 10 such vessels operating in Ukraine’s market. The nominal daily capacity of the crane comprises up to 20 thousand tons that is equal to the capacity of NIBULON’s main grain terminal in Mykolayiv city.