February 15 - The "Niedersachsenkai" terminal for project cargoes, breakbulk and wind power components, operated by the J. M

At the end of December, the terminal handled its first very heavy cargo when a 440 tonne transformer headed for a power station close to the port was handled and transferred onto a river-going barge. 

The transformer arrived on a 32 axle railway wagon. In order enable a floating crane to lift the transformer it had to be transferred almost to the edge of the quay by a SPMT. 

With a weight limit of more than 200 tonnes per sq m, the terminal proved ideal for this operation. Once it was separated from the loading clamps of the wagon, the transformer was jacked up and transferred by the SPMT right to the water side, where it was lifted by the floating crane. 

The terminal, in the City of Brake midway between Bremen and Bremerhaven, is a state of-the-art installation, with 100,000 sq m of storage area, soon to be extended to 300,000 sq m. 

The quay can therefore be reached without restriction across the whole of its length enabling oversize and heavy consignments to be transported to vessels easily. 

This space and quay functionality allows the pre-assembly of large-scale components. 

Currently, a mobile LHM 500 dockside crane, which is able to lift 140 tonnes at 20 m, is available. This crane can be moved freely across the whole of the terminal side to carry out crane works even at the back of the storage area if required. Two gantry cranes that will be able to lift up to 66 tonnes are also being installed in September.