South Africa-headquartered Vanguard has completed transport of at 50 m-long, 171-tonne cold box from the port of Walvis Bay in Namibia to a copper mine in Solwezi, Zambia.
Vanguard utilised Goldhofer multi-axle trailers, two prime movers and 600-tonne capacity turntables to perform the work. The combination measured 75 long and had a gross mass of 338 tonnes. The equipment was configured in a push-pull combination with draw bars at both the front and back to ensure stability and manoeuvrability.
The cold box had to be transported a distance of roughly 2,700 km, requiring meticulous preparation and precise execution from the company’s drivers, escorts, operators and engineering/project management teams.
The operation began in August 2024 when the cold box was discharged and staged on stands at the port of Walvis Bay. Significant route modifications then had to be completed before the transportation could commence, including road works and the construction of 11 by-passes at various locations. This also included travelling through mines to by-pass bridges and congested suburbs. After two months of route modifications, the cargo was reloaded in October 2024, and the journey began in mid-October. The transport to the mine site took 45 days.
“The route was extremely challenging. Road obstructions and furniture had to be removed or adjusted to accommodate the load. Overnight parking and stopping were complicated by the limited availability of lay-by areas. Poor road conditions and severe congestion often forced our convoy to travel at speeds of just 2–5 km/h. We also had to cross various borders, navigate bridges, bypasses, towns and tight corners, which required the expertise of the whole team,” explained Juan Johnson, field manager at Vanguard.
The biggest challenge in the project, and something which was entirely unexpected, was the extreme public interest that was generated over the course of the trip.
“Crowds began gathering in Namibia, sparking significant social media attention. By the time we reached Zambia, word of the unusual load had spread, and large crowds gathered to watch us drive by. In towns like Livingstone and Lusaka, hundreds of thousands of people came to watch. In Lusaka, police estimated that over one million spectators turned out,” Johnson added. “Managing these crowds required extensive support, with over 500 police officers allocated at certain points for escort and crowd control. Despite the logistical difficulties, the whole team managed this with exceptional professionalism.”
