An 827-ton wash tower needed to be moved from Spain to an oil and gas project in Poland, on a tight schedule. AsstrA Industrial Project Logistics team was tasked with handling the delivery, that included a total of seven units. 

The heaviest unit was the 827-ton wash tower measuring 94.4 metres in length. In total, the cargo totalled 1032-tons and 7878 cubic metres. Additional equipment included three deaerator storage tanks weighing 61 tons each, and three deaerator heads measuring 7.4 tons each.

Using MV Fairmaster heavy-lift capabilities

The vessel deployed for the job was the Jumbo-SAL-Alliance’s MV Fairmaster, with AsstrA team receiving the cargo under vessel hook first at the Port of Bilbao and subsequently at Gijon.

In Bilbao Port, 6 pieces of cargo were loaded from MAFI trailers onto the Fairmaster using vessel’s crane. Thereafter the ship moved westwards along the Spanish coast to Gijon Port. The transit time from Bilbao to Gijon was only 10 hours. Once vessel arrived to Gijon, AsstrA Team loaded the wash tower onto the Faimaster with a tandem lift.

“When vessel arrived to Gijon AsstrA Team loaded the wash tower from SPMT’s onto the ocean-going vessel using its cranes/gears and transported it to Gdansk port in Poland. All pieces were loaded from three river barges (one barge for the wash tower and two barges for the remaining six pieces) using vessel’s cranes/gears,”- explains Miguel Salas, Head of AsstrA IPL Spain.

After lashing and securing of the vessel sailed to Gdansk port in Poland, with the voyage taking five days.

Discharging under a time constraint

At the port of Gdansk, the wash tower was then discharged directly onto a river barge, again using the Fairmaster’s cranes in a tandem lift. Thereafter the other six items were discharged, again directly into river barges.

“A special challenge turned out to be time. AsstrA team needed to discharge all items within one day in order to avoid delay to the ship. Despite worsening weather during the day, the operations were commenced at 0900 Hrs and concluded same day at 1945 Hrs,” adds Patrick Richardson global head of business development for AsstrA Industrial Project Logistics.

All these items were destined for Plock Poland.