Ships (un)loading ship (un)loaders
In recent months, BigLift Shipping has successfully completed three significant shipments of port equipment. These shipments included several shiploaders, a ship unloader, and various components of a tripper car, destined for projects in diverse regions. From the port of Jebel Ali to the industrial hub of Gresik, and the port of Taichung, these operations exemplify the meticulous planning, engineering expertise, and collaborative efforts required to transport and install these substantial structures safely and efficiently.
Shipment of the Buchanan Shiploader
A shiploader in Buchanan, that had been delivered there 10 years ago, had remained idle due to lack of infrastructure. Since the infrastructure is meanwhile in place and the shiploader is due to perform its original task – loading bulkers with iron ore – it now needed to be overhauld and was therefore to be shipped to Jebel Ali. Our team was hired to move the shiploader - a complex project that required meticulous planning and execution. Here’s a detailed look at how we managed this challenging task. Through its 10-year standstill, the shiploader was no longer in working condition and the boom could no longer be used to determine the center of gravity. Therefore, it was decided to employed hydraulic jacks to raise the shiploader on-site. This allowed for accurately determined weight and centre of gravity. With this information we could position our 24-meter beams under the gantry of the shiploader. And indeed, it was lifted exactly as planned, without further requirements for rigging adjustments. One of the significant challenges was the shiploader’s size. Its track width was too large to fit transversely on the deck, and it was also too big to be positioned longitudinally using our cranes. The solution was to place the shiploader diagonally on deck, so that it partly extended overboard. We used tweendecks to support the shiploader’s bogies that protruded outside the ship’s deck. For the sea transport of the shiploader additional internal reinforcements were required and push-pull bars were designed and installed to manage the sea-fastening forces. Given the angled position of the shiploader on deck, this was a precise task, requiring careful alignment with the ship’s strong points. The shiploader has now been safely transported to Jebel Ali by our mv Palmgracht, where it will be refurbished. In about a year’s time, it is scheduled to be returned to Buchanan, where it will finally be put to use loading bulkers with iron ore. We are already planning the return transport, which will follow a similar method to this trip.
CUL demolition project in Taichung
Last June MV Happy Sky executed a 'demolition transport' within the port of Taichung of a used coal CUL (Continuous Ship Unloader), weighing 1400 mt. BigLift, together with Client IUK, minutely worked out a well-engineered, safe plan to load, transport and discharge the CUL from its existing yard in Taichung to the demolition yard, also in Taichung. In order to minimize the impact on the coal terminal, all preparations were done with the terminal in operation. Only the small area where the CUL was positioned was barriered but all conveyor lines and all other CULs were in full operation. Only during the actual lifts were the conveyor belts non-operational. Together with IUK, it was decided to cut the legs at the coal terminal and lift the main body with the unloader arm and balancing beam as a single piece. To ensure a level lift of this 1200 mt part, and to establish the loads that needed to be lifted with Happy Sky’s cranes, a test lift was performed. Once this proved successful, the actual lifting and cutting was executed. The landside leg was cut first. Then followed the seaside leg. During the cutting, Happy Sky’s cranes maintained a stable situation, compensating for tide and keeping the load constant. Once the cutting was completed, the assembly could be landed partly on deck and partly kept suspended in the heavy lift crane. This created a stable and safe condition during the transit to the demolition quayside. In a second trip, the legs were collected and finally landed horizontally, to ease the demolition. Happy Sky with its 1800 mt lifting capacity proved to be a perfect solution for all stakeholders' requirements. The inquiry came in December 2023, it was awarded in March 2024 and executed three months later – in super heavy lift project work we call such an agenda “fast track”. A timeline like this is only possible with experienced technicians on both sides of the fence, with a passion for their work, never giving in on safety.
Successful Shipment for JIIPE New Jetty in Gresik
Mv Pijlgracht successfully executed a deck-full-shipment from Jebel Ali to Gresik, Indonesia. This shipment was crucial for the construction of the new jetty at the Java Integrated Industrial and Ports Estate (JIIPE). The cargo included a ship unloader weighing 925 mt, a shiploader weighing 225 mt, and various parts of a tripper car. The shipment was executed for Erhardt Spain’s Abu Dhabi outfit through our Dubai branch office. The cargo was loaded at the Fabtech yard in Jebel Ali, where the units were produced for PHB Weserhutte of Spain. The engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for the new JIIPE jetty was awarded to Chiyoda Japan. During the loading process in the UAE, we encountered an offset center of gravity (c.o.g.) which required last-minute adjustments to the rigging. BigLift’s Engineering team, in close consultation with Erhardt and PHB, designed and implemented seafastening solutions using push-pull bars to ensure the stability and safety of the cargo. Upon arrival at the newly constructed jetty in Gresik, part of the Manyar Smelter project in Surabaya, the discharge process was completed efficiently within four days. This included shifting the vessel after lifting the shiploader. The discharge onto the jetty foundation was executed smoothly. We are proud to contribute to the development of critical infrastructure projects like the JIIPE jetty, supporting industrial growth and economic development in the region.