August 9 - Hansa Heavy Lift (HHL), on behalf of Geodis, has transported 13 modules, measuring over 147,124 cu m, from China to Australia to help with the redevelopment of the Nyrstar Smelter in Port Pirie.
The cargo was loaded on four separate voyages at the Yanda Module Yard in Jiangsu, China, with the largest piece weighing 690 tonnes, and measuring 28 m x 17 m x 26.7 m.
"This was a particularly challenging project which required the use of three of our vessels on four separate trips operating at their full capacity, including HHL New York, HHL Lagos, and HHL Valparaiso," said Henry Woo, head of Asia-Pacific (APAC), HHL.
"Lifting and rigging were particularly challenging for this project due to the height of the modules combined with the offset centre of gravity, with up to five lifting beams required for a single lift."
The decks of each vessel were extended to the aft, and in some cases to the starboard side, to accommodate up to five modules per trip. According to HHL, the over-dimensional cargo required the installation of additional bow radars and extra crew to double up bridge watches.
To overcome the limited space on the jetty in Port Pirie, the modules were placed onto self-propelled modular transporters with a minimum clearance between each vessel's hull and the fixed structures on the wharf.
The Port Pirie Redevelopment Project will convert a smelting facility, operated by Nyrstar, to a multi metals processing and recovery facility.
