Ecocem has been issued the first self-handling stevedoring licence at Dublin Port where it operates a slag grinding facility.

Conor O’Riain, managing director of Ecocem Ireland, told the Irish Times that the company spent about €400,000 on a second-hand crane which was used last week to unload its first consignment of slag. Self-stevedoring would cut the company’s costs, he added.  Ecocem will unload two ships a month with the slag coming from northern Spain and western France.