How does one manage the shipment of cargo corresponding to 25 African elephants in terms of weight? Well, Greencarrier Freight Services has managed several heavy lift projects over the years. We know the importance of special shipping knowledge, careful handling and exact planning. This is why helping one of our customers with a heavy break bulk shipment from Norway to the United Arab Emirates was easy as pie.
Breakbulk shipment of cable reels and lifting gear
In June 2018, Greencarrier Freight Services in Denmark was assigned to coordinate and plan the shipment of break bulk cargo from Halden in Norway to Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates for our customer Hyundai Heavy Industries.
The cargo was, without any exaggeration, a heavy job! The cargo included five huge cable reels as well as lifting gear. Each cable reel was nearly six and a half meters in diameter and seven meters high with a total weight of over 110 ton. The lifting gear included a more than four-meter long spreader beam which added an extra ton to the shipment.
Transport by coaster and container ship
The first part of the operation was carried out by Greencarrier Shipping & Logistics in Moss, Norway in cooperation with a coaster shipping company. Greencarrier has vast experience in handling heavy lift projects of and previously worked with similar break bulk shipments.
Greencarrier arranged the loading from the quayside in Halden, Norway, onto a coastal trading vessel using a large mobile heavy-lift crane. These cranes are designed to easily lift heavy loads with little or no setup or assembly.
After the loading of the cable reels and unhooking of the lifting gear was done, the process of lashing and securing the cargo began. Lifting D-rings were welded and straps were used to secure the cargo for the onwards journey from Halden to Rotterdam in the Netherlands.
The second part of the operation was carried out in collaboration with Maersk Line. The ship Atlas was unloaded on arrival and the cargo was loaded onto Maersk Gibraltar for the final shipment to Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.
Once the cable reels and lifting equipment was on the steady ground, the customer was very happy to receive its cargo safely and in good condition.
Detailed logistics planning and good communication is crucial
When carrying out this type of shipment, the process needs to be planned out to the very detail beforehand and good communication between all parties involved is crucial. Each party must be well aware of its own responsibilities and always inform the project owner about the outcome, possible issues or change of plan during the shipping process. This is very important as any deviation can create substantial extra cost or delay of the shipment.
Lashing and securing of the cargo – the importance of exact handling
Also, the lashing and securing of the cargo is a challenging part of the shipping process and requires careful and exact handling. It is without saying that shipping by sea may include extreme weather conditions resulting in motions acting on the ship. Cargo such as break bulk, which often requires lashing and securing on the open deck, is especially exposed to this risk. To avoid cargo damage – or even damage to the ship and crew – lashing and securing must be carried out with extreme care and exact handling.
A freight forwarder taking care of all the steps of the shipping process
At Greencarrier Freight Services, our professional team members have a great set of skills and the knowledge to carry out the job in an optimum way and make sure your cargo is transported safely and delivered on time. Also, the suppliers we cooperate with are based on long-term relationships and mutual trust. Together, we make sure our customers are always happy with our service. Regardless of cargo, destination or mode of transport, we handle every shipment in a customised manner, planning and taking care of all of the required steps of the shipping process.
Do you have a shipment that you need help to handle? May it be as heavy as a bunch of elephants or not – we are more than happy to help you! Visit our website for information about our transport solutions and other services.
