Mammoet has delivered 14 crucial components for the Angara space rocket complex which is being constructed in Russia. The company was contracted to unload the pieces of heavy and oversized equipment from a barge and transport them to the construction site 60 kilometers away.

The equipment and components awere destined for the Vostochny Cosmodrome, a spaceport which is currently being built in the Amur region in the Far East of Russia. The cargo included parts of two different big structures: the launch pad and a vacuum chamber for the launch complex. The total weight of the structires amounted to 600 tonnes and the vacuum chamber alone had a diameter of 9 metres.

“This was a very big and important project for us”, said Alexey Zhugan, Mammoet’s project manager on site. “Our client trusted us to deliver multiple crucial pieces of equipment to the construction site over a rather large distance.”

While 60 kilometres may not sound like a long distance, it is when transporting heavy and oversized cargo, Mammoet adds. “For every piece of equipment, we needed special permits”, said Zhugan. “We had to block regional roads as well as the federal road that connects Moscow with Vladivostok for a couple of hours during the night to transport the loads. All this requires careful planning and approval of every detail of the project.” The transport of the cargo took place in two parts and in a total of four days.

Local track record

Mammoet has been active locally in the Amur region for several years, particularly as part of the construction of the Amur Gas Processing Plant (AGPP). “It was our experience and track record that convinced the client to choose them for the job”, the heavy lift company states.

The company used two heavy-lift cranes, the LR-11350 and LR-1750, to unload tje cargo and delivered it to teh construction iste using Goldhoger trailers.