In the first six months of 2010, 245,000 tonnes of ‘other general cargo’ have been handled ‘at the buoys’ in the Waalhaven basin. The 2009 total was 111,000 tonnes. It concerns almost exclusively project cargo; hulls of inland vessels from China for completion at Dutch yards.
Most of the hulls arrived on towed pontoons and a number as deck load of specialized heavy cargo vessels. The port of Rotterdam is attractive for large and heavy project cargo because of the availability of much floating sheer leg cranes with varied lifting capacities. This explains why almost everything can be hoisted without paying for overcapacity. In combination with inland shipping and river- or sea-going pontoons, there is an ideal combination for pieces of any dimension.
Most of the hulls arrived on towed pontoons and a number as deck load of specialized heavy cargo vessels. The port of Rotterdam is attractive for large and heavy project cargo because of the availability of much floating sheer leg cranes with varied lifting capacities. This explains why almost everything can be hoisted without paying for overcapacity. In combination with inland shipping and river- or sea-going pontoons, there is an ideal combination for pieces of any dimension.