On 2 September 2026, the PortSHAZ prevention cover left the drawing board and went to work. During a barge-to-truck unloading of buckwheat at the VENKON quay in the Port of Elbląg, the cover was placed between the vessel and the quay to catch material escaping from the crane grab and guide it into a collection skip.
What we tested
The operation lasted half a day and covered a cargo of around 581 tonnes, as reported by the terminal operator. Material caught by the cover slid into a self-dumping skip, which was regularly emptied by forklift into the truck – so the recovered cargo went back to the shipment instead of being lost. Based on the number of skip fills, we estimate that around 6.8 tonnes of buckwheat was returned this way. Protective sheeting on the quay made it possible to collect additional material by hand.
What we learned
A pilot is there to reveal what still needs improving, and this one did. We identified three places where material could still escape: the connection between the cover and the skip, the reach of the cover towards the vessel, and the gap between the skip and the truck. We also found that the forklift pockets limit the movement of the swivel wheels. These findings are now feeding into the next version of the cover and into the operating guidance – including placing the skip right at the cover edge, as shown in our step-by-step animation.
Watch and share
The pilot video is free to watch and download. Interested in testing the cover in your port? Get in touch with the PortSHAZ team.
PortSHAZ (STHB.02.02-IP.01-0005/23) is implemented within the Interreg South Baltic Programme 2021–2027 and co-financed from the European Regional Development Fund.