Cargo Pump
A Cargo Pump is the pump that discharges liquid cargo from a tanker to shore. Traditional tankers have large centrifugal pumps in a dedicated pump room low in the ship, driven through the engine-room bulkhead; many modern tankers instead use individual deepwell or submerged pumps, one in each cargo tank.
Cargo pumps set the discharge rate and so the time alongside, which matters commercially. Stripping the last of the cargo uses smaller stripping pumps or eductors, and pump performance, sealing and the pump-room atmosphere are important safety and efficiency concerns during cargo operations.
The cargo pumps decide how fast a tanker can discharge, which drives the time in port and the laytime clock. Their reliability and the safe management of the pump room — a hazardous, enclosed space — are central to running a tanker efficiently and safely.
What is the difference between a pump-room and a deepwell cargo pump?
Pump-room pumps are large centrifugal pumps in a central compartment serving all tanks; deepwell (submerged) pumps are individual pumps fitted in each cargo tank, removing the need for a pump room.