In the 1980s, while Europe was stopping its coal mining activities, Terval was founded to source the coal required by the entire European industry. Therefore, Terval built up several importing routes and is now sourcing from all continents.
Thanks to its 15ha processing industrial site terminal, in Liège, less than two days by barge from the Antwerpen-Rotterdam-Amsterdam and directly connected by train, this inland trimodal port offers many advantages.
One of these is the direct connection through the Canal Albert which doesn’t suffer from low water and assists the overloaded seaports. In addition to cost efficiency, being able to develop low CO2 emission transportation methods, the canal supports Terval and its partners through the energy transition. Indeed, bringing one tonne per barge produces about three times less CO2 than by truck. Today, up to 95% of incoming volumes are delivered by barge. If the volumes loaded by train are still low (about 30,000 tonnes per year), there is a growing interest of the industry and Terval is exploring an investment for a greater loading station to increase these volumes.
The plant is not only able to handle the material but can also grind, screen and wash. Thus, it produces the perfect blend as the customer requires it. Terval can unload up to 10,000 tonnes per day from barge and load up to 6,000 tonnes of bulk per day. The processing capacity is reaching up to one million tonnes per year with an outside capacity of 300,000 tonnes and 25,000m2 of inside storage.
If Terval’s main activity in tonnage remains steam coal, it has also developed several markets related to the customer needs and the market opportunities.
Working with the metallurgy, Terval offers metallurgical coke, anthracite and petcoke. Thanks to its crushing and sieving units, several granulometry are available. Moreover, revamping a coal washing plant, Terval offers a high-grade anthracite with low impurities and low fines.
Moreover, thanks to its long-term relationship with the cement industry, Terval has been operating two units to prepare both iron oxide and calcium sulphate. The operation involves mixing, grinding and sieving to obtain a homogeneous and steady product without any impurities.
Finally, to support its partner along the energy transition, Terval keeps developing its biomass activity by providing a wide panel of biomass products from industrial and premium wood pellets to PKS, olive pits and biochar. Every product having its specificity which helps fitting the client’s needs.
Moreover, in addition to its existing 9,000t wood pellet storage, Terval increased it up to 15,000t last July and up to 30,000t in September. Thanks to its barge unloading capacity of up to 400 tonnes per hour and truck loading of less than 30 minutes, the site is perfect for any industrial user willing to increase its storing capacity of imported pellets in the hinterland of ARA. To further increase its handling & storing activity, Terval is working on a contract for loading pellet by train and is also requesting a permit for a new 3,200m2 warehouse.
Always listening to the market and willing to provide new products to meet its client’s needs, Terval is increasing its volume of steam-exploded pellets, reaching 10,000t this summer. Based on the excellent result this product is showing, Terval has no doubt it will keep expanding.