AAL Shipping has delivered oversize tower components from South Korea to the port of Everett in Washington, USA, onboard its heavy lift vessel AAL Pusan.
The components were transported on behalf of Geodis Freight Forwarding and will form part of a vacuum distillation unit (VDU) at a domestic petroleum refinery.
Nicola Pacifico, global head of AAL transport engineering, said: “The main cargo unit was 50 m long and weighed 456 tonnes. As is usual with complex oil and gas components, the technical requirements were extremely detailed, and we prepared 114 pages of method statements to comply with engineering and operational demands of the transport.
“Despite significant port restrictions due to Covid-19, our master and his crew worked seamlessly to execute cargo handing instructions to the letter. And, whilst the AAL Pusan was crossing the Pacific in poor weather, we received 24/7 sailing and weather updates and routing analysis from our cargo optimisation control room team in Cyprus.”
Yahaya Sanusi, deputy head of AAL transport engineering, added: “The length of the cargo presented us with very tight clearance between the cranes, so meticulous modelling and simulations were undertaken to ensure the success of our lifting and stowage operations. We also prepared extensive load-spreading modelling, and FE-analysis of deck structures used to ensure integrity and safety throughout. Our solution complied with stringent DNV ST-N001 marine operations standards (the benchmark for offshore marine operations) and kept costs down for the customer.”
