News
Issue No. 5 - April/June 2002
News Snapshots
Sea-Tow adds coastwise flexibility
Adsteam Marine and bulk grain handler Ausbulk have pioneered a new shipping method that will give regional business a new bulk cargo option on the back of the SA’s booming grain trade.
After introducing the tug-barging method to move grain from Kangaroo Island to Port Adelaide two seasons ago, the venture partners extended that concept in March, when a 1,500-tonne wheat cargo was towed to Adelaide from Port Lincoln.
Both the Port Lincoln and Kangaroo Island barging operations are operated by Sea-Tow Limited, a joint venture of Adsteam Marine Limited, SA’s largest harbour towage operator, and New Zealand-based Northland Port Corporation.
“The barge loading operation at Port Lincoln was highly successful, and was undertaken at a rate of 500-700 tonnes an hour, enabling a quick turnaround for the return voyage to Adelaide,” said Adsteam Marine’s Managing Director, David Ryan.
“The expansion of tug-barging operations to a second port in the State reflects the opportunities available for new, cost effective solutions for managing South Australia’s massive grain output - be it for domestic or export destination.”
AusBulk Chief Operating Officer, John Warda said the consignment offered considerable savings in transport costs compared with alternative road routes to Adelaide.
“This will have increasing appeal to Eyre Peninsula grain growers in the future - particularly if South Australia continues to produce its recent run of record grain harvests,” John said.
Sea-Tow has just finished shipping 20,000 tonnes of grain from Kangaroo Island as part of the island’s 2001-02 harvest, up from 8,000 tonnes when the service was introduced last year.
Developing a second sea route for tug-barge grain consignments is part of Adsteam's strategy to continue to build tug-barging as a major, value-adding maritime service withi...
