AAL, in cooperation with Australian logistics provider Qube, discharged of 24,996 steel coated pipes in Darwin using a vacuum lifting system.
The pipes, measuring 18 m in length, were loaded on board AAL’s S-Class multipurpose vessel, AAL Bangkok in Baoshan, China. In total, the consignment weighed 13,286 tonnes.
In Darwin, AAL and Qube deployed the multi-lift vacuum units, which use vacuum pads to attach and lift the pipes, for the entire discharge operation. According to AAL, this was the first time that the lifting technology was used in an Australian port.
Head of transport engineering at AAL, Nicola Pacifico, explained: “The multi-lift vacuum units were successfully commissioned and operational throughout the operation, while maintaining zero lost time injuries (LTI) and reducing operational safety risks, by eliminating the use of hooks.”
The pipes will be used for the Bao Australia pipeline project.
You can see a video of the project here.
