Hansa Heavy Lift transports equipment for major new petrochemicals production complex in Russia
Hansa Heavy Lift says it has delivered more than 60,000 cbm of petrochemicals equipment to help with construction of SIBUR’s ZapSibNeftekhim polyolefin complex in Tobolsk, Russia.
The German shipping company undertook two deliveries to complete the project, during which a total of six vessels were dispatched, including HHL Lagos, HHL Tokyo, and HHL Valparaiso, each capable of lifting 1,400 metric tonnes.
The first part of the project took place in 2016, using HHL Tokyo and HHL Volga. The second part of the project, involving HHL Lagos, HHL Valparaiso, HHL Venice, and HHL Congo, was completed this year.
The cargo was loaded at the ports of Dalian in China, and Ulsan and Masan in South Korea, before being delivered to Belgium, for the owner of the project, Russian gas processing and petrochemicals company SIBUR. The shipments, which represent over 50 per cent of all equipment for the Tobolsk project, will now be shipped via HHL Lagos and HHL Venice, to Sabetta, Russia, where it will be discharged onto barges for transportation to their final destination.
“This was a major project that involved six of our ships being used at their full capacity, which required in-depth engineering knowledge and experience,” said Gleb Faldin, Commercial Manager, Hansa Heavy Lift. “We faced several challenges including ensuring the safety of the crews and the cargo throughout this major project, as well as extremely tight stowage to help increase the cost-effectiveness of each journey.Crews had to load HHL Lagos and HHL Valparaiso simultaneously whilst in South Korea so that both operations were coordinated, as well as take measures to ensure the vessels did not arrive at the port of discharge at the same time.” He added the fact Hansa Heavy Lift had transported a majority of the cargo for this project confirms the company’s position as “a customer-focused logistics solutions provider as well as an expert in Northern Sea Route trades.”
The cargo included boilers, fractionators, gas section drums, columns, a crack gas cooler, and a process steam generator, with the heaviest piece weighing over 481 metric tonnes and measuring 87.55 x 4.05 x 4.90 metres.
“Our operational and pre-planning expertise allowed us to execute the project successfully and on time, despite there being a very tight schedule and strict requirements from all parties involved,” said Igor Savin, Cargo Superintendent, Hansa Heavy Lift. “Each of the units varied in size and length and therefore required special attention for lifting and sea fastening.”
SIBUR is a unique vertically integrated gas processing and petrochemicals company. The company owns and operates the largest gas processing business in Russia by volume of processed associated petroleum gas, and it is leader of the petrochemicals industry in the country. ZapSibNeftekhim is a part of SIBUR’s Tobolsk production site. The project is designed to produce two mtpa of polyolefins when onstream.
“Hansa Heavy Lift proved themselves to be an excellent partner in this very major project, transporting over 50 per cent of all equipment and exceeding even our highest expectations,” said Vyacheslav Fedorov, Head of Heavy & Oversized Cargo Transportation via Northern Sea Route, SIBUR. “Their strong engineering expertise and experience of handling heavy lift cargo, as well as the strong line of communication they kept open throughout, gave us full confidence in their ability to deliver all units safely and on time, and we look forward to any future work opportunities.”
Hansa Heavy Lift specialises in the super heavy lift 900+ metric tonnes industry, delivering best-in-class engineering solutions to customers, particularly in the subsea, oil and gas, as well as the offshore wind farm sectors.