Project freight forwarder deugro has completed the transport of some 85,500 cu m of oversized and heavy lift components to Ineos Project One in Antwerp. The multi-origin programme proved particularly complex, with last-minute cargo additions and routing changes.
The first 52,600 cu m of cargo – 10 oversized storage bullets weighing up to 738 tonnes and measuring as long as 50 m – were delivered in two shipments from China.
A further 33,000 cu m of cargo was shipped on three charters from the UAE and Oman. This comprised various oversized and heavy lift (OSHL) components, including a 404-tonne equipment building and several substation units, among others. The most impressive unit – a 1,040-tonne, 67m x 16 m x 7 m substation – was shipped on Roll Group’s deck carrier Rolldock Storm.
Given such dimensions and weights involved, each movement demanded meticulous planning and operational precision. Strict project milestones imposed extremely tight shipping schedules. Simultaneously, the requirement for a specific berth at a persistently congested loading port necessitated intense coordination with port authorities, said deugro.
Additional challenges included adverse weather conditions and the mandatory rerouting of all vessels via the Cape of Good Hope due to the Red Sea crisis.
For safe delivery via a combination of deck carrier, heavy lift and semi-submersible vessels, while complying with budgetary, schedule and client requirements, deugro UK – acting as project control tower – assembled an experienced cross-disciplinary team of project managers, transport engineers and chartering experts from the UK, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, China, UAE and Oman.
Most components were loaded via ro-ro, requiring intense planning, particularly concerning the SPMT configuration and the ramping system on the quay side. The 67 m substation alone required two SPMT trains with 50-axle lines each and nearly 75 m of quay packing to create a suitable ramp for safe transfer.
In addition to the main cargo, the final vessel (Rolldock Storm) was also tasked – at short notice – with taking on a 66 m x 19.1 m x 4.25 m self-loading barge. To accommodate it, the team had to stow cargo partly on the vessel’s tween deck and partly on the secured barge positioned below. deugro said this configuration demanded bespoke loading, stowage and securing plans, along with dual ballasting calculations to maintain stability throughout the operation.
Giovanni Nigro, senior naval architect at dteq, described some of the project’s particularly technical requirements: “Even loading by means of two SPMT lines with 50 axles each represented a challenge, in conjunction with a particular fendering system at Hamriyah Port in UAE which didn’t allow the vessel’s ramp to get directly in line with the quay surface. To overcome this obstacle, a ramping structure of about 75 m, composed of a mix of steel and azobe wood mats, was built on the quay to allow for a smooth driving of the axles on board.
“An additional operational and engineering challenge was the conditions of the cargo hold of a pre-loaded barge. This barge, an integral part of the vessel loading equipment, required an extensive assessment in terms of local and global strength, besides proper ballasting considerations during loading and securing.”
Ben Cunnington, country manager at deugro UK, said that collaboration with all partners ensured successful delivery complex and sensitive cargo units on schedule and in accordance with the highest safety standards. “In close teamwork with the client, we were also able to successfully utilise the vessel’s substantial storage space, which had unexpectedly become available at short notice on the second ocean voyage, by flexibly collecting and loading over 6,000 cu m of additional cargo from the client – thereby avoiding significant dead freight costs,” he explained.
HLPFI reported earlier this week that deugro has shuffled its North American leadership team with Jeff Smith becoming vice president and country manager of deugro USA.
