Qatar Primary Material Company (QPMC) and Belgium-based Rent-A-Port have signed an agreement for the operation of the Bulk Material Handling System (BMHS) in Qatar, said a report.

The contract was signed by Eisa Al Hammadi, CEO of QPMC, and Marcel Van Bouwel, general manager at Rent-A-Port, for awarding the operation of the bulk material handling facility developed at a huge investment of QR1.6 billion ($439.3 million), added the Peninsula Qatar report.

The BMHS is a mega-scale project realised as part of Qatar’s national vision.

Rent-A-Port is an engineering and investment company, specialising in the development of marine infrastructures and industrial zones worldwide.

Ahmed Abdulla Al Suwaidi, acting operations director at QPMC, said that the port facility located in Mesaieed has deployed cutting-edge technologies which has improved the efficiency of the port, including the unloading and discharging capacity of primary material (gabbro) by 80 per cent.

He further added that there are eight key advantages of the system, which include capacity enhancement, reducing waiting time of the vessels, providing free-storage facilities to clients for up to 21 days, minimising malfunctioning and possible losses of materials, added the report.