When a giant is in a hurry: Karl Gross organizes the shipment of a 23 meters long heat exchanger via container vessel

Taking advantage in shorter transit times: Shipping break bulk cargo on a container vessel

 

Each transport is unique. This makes our job so exciting.

One of our customers in the “oil, gas and petrochemical” sector is an internationally renowned manufacturer of heat exchangers for the petrochemical industry. They lately entrusted to us the transport of a custom-made heat exchanger – measurements 23 meters length x 3,40 meters width x 2,60 meters height, weight 70 tons – from their manufacturing premises in Berlin, Germany, up to CFR Busan, South Korea. Transit times played a central role for this project cargo shipment as the consignee wanted to exchange the heat exchanger in use by the new one as soon as possible. A shipping solution via break bulk vessel would have taken them too long.

In order to come to a faster shipping solution, we teamed up with an internationally leading container carrier to work out a way of shipping the “giant in a hurry” break bulk via container vessel. In that way, we could significantly shorten the transit time from the port of loading – Hamburg, Germany – to the port of discharge – Busan, South Korea – to 31 days. Shipping via break bulk vessel would have meant a transit time of around 58 days.

Direct connections: the less handling steps the better for the protection of cargo

Transloading of the heat exchanger from barge to ocean going vessel.

Under deck stowage on a “flat bed”

For protecting the special apparatus against the elements, it was stowed in the lower holds of the container vessel. We had a bed of 5 collapsed 40’ Flat Racks set at the top layer below deck. The heat exchanger was positioned on these transversal to the vessel’s course. Lashing took place onboard.

It takes out-of-the-box thinking to make the project a success.


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