Moving Cargo
The ways in which cargo is loaded and unloaded has changed dramatically in the port's 200 year history. None moreso than coal. Originally the coal was loaded onto the ships using wheelbarrows, a slow and painstaking process. In 1860 steam cranes were introduced making loading faster. Hydraulic and electric cranes were then introduced, but as the trade demands on the Port increased, further improvements in technology were needed. Today high speed belt conveyors, giant reclaimers and stackers and shiploaders with capacity of up to 10,500 tonnes per hour all ensure that Newcastle remains one of the worlds leading edge coal ports. |
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