Barrus Projects And SAL Heavy Lift Collaborate To Ship The Largest Autoclave In The Goldmining Industry From Belgium To Russia

  09. November 2020

The autoclave unit was intended for the second autoclave line of the Amursk Hydrometallurgical Plant in Amursk city by JSC Polymetal. While Barrus Projects, representing Russia in the Projects Logistics Alliance, was the general contractor, Key Point Logistics was appointed to carry out the contract work. The main autoclave unit was 50 meters long while the inner diameter was approximately 6 meters and weighed 1100 tons.

Considering the huge number of compelling tasks that needed to be taken care of the entire project was divided into stages. More extensive news on each stage will follow in the coming days. The first stage of transportation was to deliver this unique equipment from Coek’s Engineering manufacturing plant in Geel, Belgium to the Port of Antwerp. Although a part of the shipper's responsibility, Barrus Projects, and Key point logistics have been actively working with autoclave manufacturer for two years to prepare the cargo for the following technical requirements for the subsequent stages of transportation and installation of the autoclave:

Design and location of transport saddles, considering the requirements transportation in the Russian Federation and the conditions for the autoclave installation at the construction site.

• Design and placement of pressure sensors considering technical constraints.
• Design and places of additional band installation to avoid damage to the paint.
• Replacement of mating flanges on the agitator pipes with transport plugs.

These technical suggestions were approved and implemented by the manufacturer before the shipment. The autoclave was dispatched from COEK Engineering's premises in Geel, Belgium in mid-May 2020 in adherence to the project schedule. Once the cargo arrived on a hold barge at the Port of Antwerp where our Partner for Heavy and Project Cargo SAL Heavy Lift supported the movement. The vessel m/v Svenja with two ship cranes having a lifting capacity of 1000 tons each was already ready and waiting. Barrus Projects area of responsibility also extended to loading the autoclave and their components aboard m/v Svenja, placing, securing and fastening the components for sea passage in full accordance with the developed project cargo transhipment.

The movement was carried out under the conditions of restrictions associated with COVID-19, but thanks to well-coordinated work with their European partners at Katoen Natie terminal and a previously approved scheme for transhipment and placement of the autoclave between all participants of this stage of transportation, the transhipment took place as planned and without delays.

Sea transportation of the autoclave was carried out from the port of Antwerp through the Suez Canal to the seaport of De-Kastri, Russia. It is also worth mentioning that the transportation was carried out in the shortest time possible – 30 days, taking into account the fact that an additional British paramilitary security had to be organized, which was on board the vessel at the Port De Djibouti to pass the dangerous areas after the Suez Canal and until they arrived at the Port of Colombo in the Indian Ocean.

Barrus Projects is grateful to its partners in this project for their prompt work and timely delivery of cargo to the water area of the port of De-Kastri. Congratulations Barrus Projects for this impressive transfer! We cannot wait to publish more articles highlighting the details of this movement.

Share this article:

Tweet

See all news