Heavy transport 330 km down one of Europe’s last wild rivers
Heavy transport specialist Sarens, was tagged by its clients Hyundai and Tecnicas Reunidas, to complete logistics activities for the Olefins petrochemical expansion project on behalf of end client Orlen.
Transporting over 100 pieces of equipment, some weighing up to 1,000 tonnes and measuring up to 110 meters long, from Gdansk to Plock, Poland was a challenging logistical feat. The only feasible way to move them was by sailing down the Vistula, a 330-kilometer journey full of unknowns, down one of Europe’s last wild rivers.
Sarens faced a challenge as there was no safe passage guarantee and it was nearly impossible to price such an operation. The company was also lagging behind the competition in the tendering process as some of them had already completed the preliminary surveys.
To compensate, Sarens brought in a manager of maritime operations, Jan Willems, as well as engineering manager Peter Huygebaert, to find the best technical solutions. The team traversed the river to understand the possibilities for the project.
Post river transport
To transport cargo to an urban job site, the team had to navigate the river and overcome several obstacles. Sarens partnered with DSV to provide a solution. DSV would handle port operations and transport of general cargo, while Sarens would provide special barges for critical items. Both companies would handle the quay arrangement, road clearance, and permitting from the quay to the site to complete the project successfully.
Fortunately for Sarens its project engineer, Adam Malik was based near the job site and was able to take necessary measurements and confirm engineering drawings with site surveys. The cargo was ready for the eight-kilometre journey on the road.
The preparation was also the reason Sarans, in partnership with DSV, secured the job, almost 18 months after receiving the initial request for a quote.
Executing heavy transport
The team, led by project manager Claude Jacobs, analyzed the quay in Plock to determine safe unloading operations for the heavy equipment. They found the quay was not ideal for the original plan of using two 650T crawler cranes. The two available solutions were to reinforce the quay or optimize lift engineering. The team chose the latter option, mobilizing a 1.250T Demag crawler crane with the plate number CC6800 and a 650T crawler crane. This ensured the safe unloading of the equipment.
As part of a complex operation, Sarens was responsible for transporting several critical loads for its clients. The last-mile transport to the site was carried out at night using Kamag K24 SPMTs. The most crucial part of the operation involved the transportation of the wash tower, a massive component weighing 900 tonnes and measuring almost 100 meters in length.
As Sarens project sales manager, Dimitri Laurent, puts it, “Transport of a 900T cargo is not easy. Transport of a 900T cargo in an urban environment is not easy at all. Transport of a 900T cargo in an urban environment, with a length of over 90 metres and an eight-metre diameter…this is a real challenge. Together with our partner DSV, we overcame the challenge and transported the wash tower over six kilometres for our client. Congratulations to all the team involved.”
