Nwicker60
31-Oct-11, 11:45
New facility opened for winter supplies in Inverness
HIGHLAND COUNCIL has opened a new covered facility at Inverness for storing winter salt.
The Council has entered in to a commercial agreement for the provision of transit warehousing at Inverness Harbour for up to 14,000 tonnes of salt. The first consignment of 6,000 tonnes of salt to the new facility arrived by ship this week from Salt Sales, who are based at Carrick Fergus, Northern Ireland.
Councillor John Laing, Chairman of the council’s Transport Environmental and Community Services Committee, said: “With winter looming, it is important to assure the public that we are ready to cope with the type of adverse conditions that we have experienced in recent years. This new salt facility at Inverness Harbour will provide us with a much improved service and the new business will help underpin the viability of the harbour.”
The council has entered into a long term agreement with Scotlog Sales Ltd, a long established business based at Inverness Harbour with extensive interests in shipping, stevedoring and storage facilities. The annual throughput of salt will be in the region of 25,000 tonnes.
In addition to the stockpiling of cargo, the agreement includes:
Discharge of salt from ship to shore, inclusive of port and cargo dues.
All handling of salt between the ship and the storage warehouse.
All building maintenance necessary to maintain a secure and covered storage facility.
All staff and equipment necessary to load Council vehicles during the hours 5:30am to 7pm, 7 days a week during the winter season (October to April)
The provision of weighbridge facilities for vehicles arriving and leaving Inverness Harbour.
Maintenance and provision of all salt movements (all management information)
For many years, the council has operated a salt storage depot located on land owned by the Inverness Common Good Fund adjacent to the Kessock Bridge Roundabout.
Part of the Longman depot will be leased to Transport Scotland as a strategic salt store for the Highlands. This will provide a reserve stock of around 7,000 tonnes which will only be used in the event of normal stocks running low.
The storage of salt at Inverness Harbour will provide the following benefits
Secure Salt Storage
Increased Capacity
Covered Salt Storage leading to reduced salt loss (rain wash-off is calculated at 10% per year of the salt stored)
No requirement to short haul salt from Inverness Harbour to Longman Depot (direct haulage cost saving, improved carbon footprint)
Loading of salt into Council gritters (reduced requirement for expensive loading shovel(s) at Longman Depot)
Weighing of all salt leaving warehouse (improved salt management)
Creation of a strategic salt store with potential users including the Trunk Road Operators and neighbouring Councils.
Operational savings from spreading dry salt.
The cost of covered storage at Inverness Harbour has been compared to the current arrangements, and has been found to be cost neutral. The cost of facilities at [c1] Inverness Harbour will be offset by savings from:
Current haulage costs (Inverness Harbour to Longman depot)
Stockpiling costs (stockpiling included in the charge)
Temporary covering of the external stockpile
Dry storage will eliminate losses from run off
Reduced costs in relation to loading vehicles (loading of vehicles included in the agreed tonnage rate)
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HIGHLAND COUNCIL has opened a new covered facility at Inverness for storing winter salt.
The Council has entered in to a commercial agreement for the provision of transit warehousing at Inverness Harbour for up to 14,000 tonnes of salt. The first consignment of 6,000 tonnes of salt to the new facility arrived by ship this week from Salt Sales, who are based at Carrick Fergus, Northern Ireland.
Councillor John Laing, Chairman of the council’s Transport Environmental and Community Services Committee, said: “With winter looming, it is important to assure the public that we are ready to cope with the type of adverse conditions that we have experienced in recent years. This new salt facility at Inverness Harbour will provide us with a much improved service and the new business will help underpin the viability of the harbour.”
The council has entered into a long term agreement with Scotlog Sales Ltd, a long established business based at Inverness Harbour with extensive interests in shipping, stevedoring and storage facilities. The annual throughput of salt will be in the region of 25,000 tonnes.
In addition to the stockpiling of cargo, the agreement includes:
Discharge of salt from ship to shore, inclusive of port and cargo dues.
All handling of salt between the ship and the storage warehouse.
All building maintenance necessary to maintain a secure and covered storage facility.
All staff and equipment necessary to load Council vehicles during the hours 5:30am to 7pm, 7 days a week during the winter season (October to April)
The provision of weighbridge facilities for vehicles arriving and leaving Inverness Harbour.
Maintenance and provision of all salt movements (all management information)
For many years, the council has operated a salt storage depot located on land owned by the Inverness Common Good Fund adjacent to the Kessock Bridge Roundabout.
Part of the Longman depot will be leased to Transport Scotland as a strategic salt store for the Highlands. This will provide a reserve stock of around 7,000 tonnes which will only be used in the event of normal stocks running low.
The storage of salt at Inverness Harbour will provide the following benefits
Secure Salt Storage
Increased Capacity
Covered Salt Storage leading to reduced salt loss (rain wash-off is calculated at 10% per year of the salt stored)
No requirement to short haul salt from Inverness Harbour to Longman Depot (direct haulage cost saving, improved carbon footprint)
Loading of salt into Council gritters (reduced requirement for expensive loading shovel(s) at Longman Depot)
Weighing of all salt leaving warehouse (improved salt management)
Creation of a strategic salt store with potential users including the Trunk Road Operators and neighbouring Councils.
Operational savings from spreading dry salt.
The cost of covered storage at Inverness Harbour has been compared to the current arrangements, and has been found to be cost neutral. The cost of facilities at [c1] Inverness Harbour will be offset by savings from:
Current haulage costs (Inverness Harbour to Longman depot)
Stockpiling costs (stockpiling included in the charge)
Temporary covering of the external stockpile
Dry storage will eliminate losses from run off
Reduced costs in relation to loading vehicles (loading of vehicles included in the agreed tonnage rate)
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