PRESS RELEASE – AAL Shipping has delivered 22,400cbm of stacker reclaimer components from Dalian in North-East China to Port Hedland in Western Australia. The cargo, destined for the Fortescue Metals Group’s Eliwana Mine and Rail Project in the Pilbara, was loaded on the 19,000dwt AAL Fremantle.

Months of meticulous engineering planning were made significantly more difficult due to newly implemented Covid-19 restrictions in Dalian. Despite these challenges, the cargo was loaded safely, and schedule integrity maintained, says AAL.

The stacker reclaimer components were shipped on behalf of one of the world’s leading project logistics providers, Schenker Australia Pty Ltd. The cargo comprised of multiple components of which the heaviest was just over 230 tonnes and the longest 40 metres in length. Tandem lifting was required using the vessel’s port side heavy lift cranes and the operation proved challenging.

“Project requirements were exacting and we prepared extensive engineering modelling and feasibility scenarios to illustrate the safety of our transport solution, its response to potential weather fronts during typhoon season and to comply with additional requests submitted by Marine Warranty Surveyors”, explains Nicola Pacifico, Head of AAL Transport Engineering. Ultimately, the company met all required standards and made full use of the AAL Fremantle’s 1,600 square meter weather deck and the 53 metres length of her hold number 3 to safely stow and secure every piece.

Located in the Pilbara Region of Western Australia, construction began on the Eliwana project in July 2019. The iron ore mining project includes 143 kilometres of rail track and a dry ore processing facility (OPF) capable of outputting 30 million tonnes per annum. The project will create up to 1,900 jobs during ongoing construction and 500 full-time site positions once fully operational.