Moving a 300-ton transformer on the road to its heavy cargo storage centre in Mannheim was not an option for Spedition Kübler. Following assessment, the company opted to move the cargo on inland waterways to its facility for storage, before it was later transported to a substation in southern Germany to ensure power supply for the region. 

The decision to store the unit at the heavy cargo centre was made to avoid the use of expensive cranes for unloading, but rather the facility’s 500-ton overhead crane.

Beating the low water levels

On the day of the delivery the lowest water levels of the year were measured, an issue that was solved by deploying a Van der Wees barge, the Lastdrager 27, a large flat top pontoon with a shallow draft.

The RoRo capabilities of the pontoon were of good use during the unloading. Once the ramp was assembled by a mobile crane at the port of destination, the load was brought ashore with a 16-axle trailer. The transformer was then delivered to the substation at night under police escort.