Silo Discharge & Truck Loading System for 500k-Ton North China Mega Grain & Soybean Import Hub
Key Highlights
This major North China grain logistics hub, also China’s largest Soybean Import Hub with a total investment of 1.44 billion RMB, required an efficient silo discharge and automated truck loading system for its 500k-Ton silo cluster.
Deployed a complete GSS automated conveying system, including 41 GSS Up-Load Drag Conveyors (300 t/h), 2 sets of En-masse Conveyors (500 t/h), and 13 GSS high-capacity Bucket Elevators (up to 61.2 m lift height, 800 t/h each).
Achieved streamlined automated truck loading direct from silo bottoms via Up-Load Drag Conveyors; ensured 24/7 heavy-duty operation with GSS tall Bucket Elevators; and delivered eco-friendly, low-breakage grain transfer.
Client Profile: A Vital Import Bulk Grain Logistics Hub in North China
The Jurong Grain Base Project under Shandong Port Group, China’s largest soybean import hub with a total investment of 1.44 billion RMB, required an efficient silo discharge and automated truck loading system for its 500,000-ton silo cluster. The project comprises 41 flat-bottom silos and 2 day bins, with a total storage capacity of 500,000 tonnes. It achieves an annual bulk grain throughput of up to 6.89 million tonnes (4,000 t/h intake capacity, 800 t/h discharge capacity). Serving the critical mission of efficiently distributing imported bulk grains such as soybeans to inland regions, it acts as a strategic hub safeguarding the stability of the regional grain supply chain.
Goals & Challenges: Rapid Truck Loading & Heavy-Duty Operations
With the expansion of its half-million-ton silo cluster, the terminal faced several common industry challenges during bulk grain discharge and dispatch:
- With an outbound requirement of 800 t/h, the terminal needed to streamline discharge from flat-bottom silos directly into trucks, eliminating redundant transfer steps and accelerating highway dispatch.
- Lifting bulk grain to top distribution floors at heights of up to 61.2 meters demanded extreme stability, anti-clogging performance, and mechanical strength from bucket elevators operating continuously under heavy loads.
- Bulk soybeans generate dust and are subject to damage during high-volume transport and transfer. Fully enclosed conveying was essential to meet strict environmental and grain protection standards.
Customized Solution: Automated Conveying System from Silo Discharge to High Elevation
Matching flat-bottom silo layouts and automated truck loading workflows, GSS delivered a comprehensive conveying solution featuring curved drag conveyors, straight drag conveyors, and high-lift bucket elevators:
- Installed under the 41 flat-bottom silos, these GSS Up-Load Drag Conveyors are paired with discharge hoppers to achieve direct, automated truck loading straight from silo bottoms.
- Handling 500 t/h each, these GSS En-Masse Conveyors manage horizontal transfer and material allocation between silo zones for continuous flow.
- Deploying 1 unit at 500 t/h and 12 units at 800 t/h (lift heights from 36.6 m to 61.2 m), these GSS Bucket Elevators provide reliable high-lift vertical transport with low grain damage.
Project Value: Process Innovation, Heavy-Duty Reliability, and Eco-Friendly Operations Delivered by GSS
Automated Truck Loading
• The GSS Up-Load Drag Conveyor system eliminates unnecessary transfer stages, reducing truck loading times and significantly boosting highway dispatch efficiency.
Reliability for Extreme Lift Heights
• The 13 GSS high-capacity bucket elevators (reaching up to 61.2 m) ensure smooth, round-the-clock operation, offering high wear resistance and low maintenance costs.
Grain Loss Reduction
• The fully enclosed design across all GSS equipment suppresses dust emissions and prevents spillage, helping the terminal achieve clean, eco-friendly logistics.
The dispatch efficiency of our 500k-ton silo cluster is vital to securing the inland grain supply chain. The complete bulk conveying system provided by GSS, especially its Up-Load Drag Conveyor solution for direct truck loading, has greatly simplified our dispatch process. Furthermore, the 13 tall Bucket Elevators have shown outstanding stability and dust control at lift heights exceeding 60 meters, providing solid equipment support for our modern grain logistics hub.
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