Erhardt Projects has proceeded on behalf of its customer, a global leader in engineering and construction, to arrange the shipment of the first four reactors, out of a total of 17, destined for the world’s largest facility for combined refining and chemical manufacturing, in Southeast Asia, which is currently fully immersed in expanding the production and market distribution of clean fuels and lubricants.
In April, at the private terminal belonging to China First Heavy Industries in the Port of Dalian, Erhardt Projects has overseen the loading of four reactors weighing 733, 1,004, 1333.95 and 1355.46 tonnes, respectively, with the two heaviest ones measuring over 46 meters in length. Their destination was Singapore, and they constituted the first of four deliveries in a logistics project that includes a total of 17 reactors.
The customer required a provider capable of successfully managing the loading procedure involved in the shipment of the four reactors in a port of origin with severe restrictions in terms of its draught and under a state of full lockdown in China, which seriously hindered export processes.
Within this context, Erhardt Projects scoured the market for vessels under the China flag, verifying their technical suitability for selecting the one that most closely complied with the technical characteristics of the quayside and which could properly bear the weight of the units to be shipped. In turn, it also undertook the necessary paperwork with the port authorities to arrange the docking of the chosen vessel and its cargo and expedite the required export arrangements in a process that was more complex than usual.
Erhardt Projects deployed a team of five operating personnel and engineers dedicated solely to this project onsite at the offloading port to oversee the operations, integrating providers, liaising with port agents, drawing up stevedoring plans, the fastening and securing of the units, and performing the end-to-end supervision and monitoring of the operation.
“Our aim at all times was the safety and security of the critical units to be shipped in accordance with their strategic nature and considering their final destination. Despite all the obstacles we encountered, we never stopped looking for the right means for ensuring the shipment of the units, or seeking to obtain the necessary permissions from the Chinese authorities, or making the right decisions to guarantee that each maneuver was successfully completed”, says the Operations Director, Alberto Rodriguez.
“We managed to adapt to the adverse circumstances, making sure that we were always the customer’s eyes and ears on the ground, providing the best possible service through a blend of expertise, experience, engagement and dedication” affirms Gonzalo Isidro, one of our transport engineers involved in this project.
