Chattogram Port Silo would soon be equipped with modern technology to handle all imported food grains, especially wheat. BMRE (Balancing, Modernization, Expansion and Replacement) has been initiated to speed up the process of unloading, storage and delivery of imported grains.
Vigan Engineering SA, a Belgian company, will complete the BMRE work on the silo under the direct purchase method.
It is known that there are complications in the supply of wheat in different parts of the country. In this context, it is necessary to carry out BMRE of Chattogram silo to complete the operation of the silo quickly.
The silo had partial BMRE once in 1998 to 2000. After about 23 years the performance of all the machines and conveyors has significantly weakened. Besides, Chattogram silo needed to be BMRE to speed up the process of unloading, storing and delivering imported wheat to keep pace with modern technological excellence and ensure food security.
Necessary fund is also allocated in the budget for this work. Currently, the cost of constructing a new silo with a capacity of one lakh metric tons is estimated at Tk 800 to 1000 crore.
A committee of seven members was formed under the leadership of the Additional Director General of Food Directorate on April 27 this year to formulate the scope of work for Chattogram silo modernization.
The committee recommended to carry out BMRE by field inspection of the silo. Later, another five-member committee was formed on August 17 to determine the need to carry out any work on the Chattogram silo BMRE on an urgent basis. The committee also submitted a report.
According to Ministry of Food, most of the wheat imported by the government is released in Chattogram silo. The 53-year-old silo with a capacity of one lakh metric tonnes was installed between 1966 and 1970. At present the equipment in the silo are not giving the desired results.
Bagging house of silo, delivery and distribution machines, conveyor bridge, jetty, sub-station, control room system, old scale, belt counter weighing booth and many more machines do not function as per the need.
The construction of the Chattogram silo was carried out by a Swedish company - Skanska. At that time, German mechanical engineering company MIAG (MIAG) and Swiss company Bahl jointly assembled all the parts of the silo. Later between 1998 and 2000 the silo was partially replaced by BMRE with parts sourced from Bahler of Switzerland, Precia Molen of France, Vigan Engineering of Belgium and other original manufacturers.
It is almost impossible to buy the equipment from multiple manufacturers located in different countries and align functioning of all the equipment. In this case, the ministry feels that it would be wiser and more logical to do silo BMRE through a single manufacturer or source.
Most of the equipment is manufactured by Vigan Engineering SA, a Belgian company designated under the direct purchase method. The Ashuganj silo had experienced BMRE through an agreement with the Department of Food for supply of 9 un-loaders to various silo; providing related services including installation and interlink.
Ashuganj, Chattogram, Narayanganj and Santahar silos were built between 1966 and 1970 using the same technology. The Ashuganj silo BMRE, done by a Belgian company, completed the drawing design of various machines and collected the goods and machinery from the original manufacturer and installed them in the silo.