As part of the project for the transportation of reactors manufactured by Izhorskiye Zavody PJSC to Tatneft PJSC to install the hydrocracking unit, four reactors were transported from Kolpino, St. Petersburg, to Nizhnekamsk, Republic of Tatarstan. Barrus Projects, representing Kazakhstan and Russia in the Project Logistics Alliance, was nominated to complete this movement.

The main ODCs were:

• First stage reactor pos. 4104R0101, 53.335 x 7.8 x 6.245 m / 1090.175 T
• Second stage reactor pos. 4104R0102, 33.844 x 7.1 x 5.096 m / 427.38 T
• Hydrodearomatisation reactor pos. 1503R0101 35.9 x 4.5 x 4.16 m / 236.14 T
• Dewaxing reactor pos. 1503R0102 20.7 x 4.5 x 4.06 m / 108.64 T

Photo Credit: Barrus Projects

Barrus Projects had the task of providing services for the transportation of oversized heavy reactors from the manufacturing plant in Kolpino across two railway crossings, PCh-10 and PCh-29, including the preparation of the necessary infrastructure for the possibility of passing in curves, transportation by inland waterways using a barge towing arrangement, as well as the delivery of reactors on self-propelled hydraulic modular trailers in Nizhnekamsk. Barrus Projects had to prepare the berth of the manufacturer on the Neva River to receive the largest barge shipment in the factory's history. The operations team at Barrus Projects successfully completed this with help from divers.

The transportation route consisted of several stages:

• The first stage was the road transportation of the reactors on self-propelled hydraulic modular trailers along the route: workshop No. 33/34 of Izhorskiye Zavody PJSC to the berth located on the Neva River in the Ust-Slavyanka. Transportation was carried out at night for two days, with the passage on the first day through the railway crossing PCh-10, on the second day, the route through the railway crossing PCh-29 and delivery of cargoes to the berth.
• The second stage was loading cargo by the RO-RO method onto a barge and their fastening per the project for the placement and fastening of UODC (unique over-dimensional cargoes). During the loading of reactors, the barge was ballasted almost continuously with the help of eight motor pumps.

Photo Credit: Barrus Projects

The barge of project 03060, "Volgo-Baltika", was chosen for simultaneous transportation on inland waterways for the whole cargo volume according to the parameters for the transportation suitable at that time. Based on the calculations by the designer, who was in charge of loading, unloading and securing the cargo, he noticed that the barge needed an upgrade to support the freight. The barge was upgraded by the shipowner before the loading operation commenced. Transporting the cargo from the berth on the Neva River to Nizhnekamsk over the inland waterways took 20 days.

Photo Credit: Barrus Projects

According to the concept of the project, the weight and dimensions of the reactors, the unloading in Nizhnekamsk was to be carried out at two additional berths, using different methods. The hydrodearomatization reactor and the dewaxing reactor were unloaded by crane to the berth of Transkama NJSC, and the reactors of the first and second stages were to be unloaded by the RO-RO method in the loading chamber of the Nizhnekamsk river port. Unfortunately, due to the low water level in the Kama river, it was impossible to load the reactors of the first and second stages in the navigation period of 2021 because the low water level prevented from closing the watergate of the loading chamber. The reactors had to be left on the barge and put aside for the period between navigations at the berth of Transkama NJSC.

The hydrodearomatization reactor and the dewaxing reactor were successfully delivered to the installation site of Tatneft PJSC named after. V.D. Shashin and transferred to the consignee. The reactors of the first and second stages will be unloaded from the barge and transported upon the opening of the navigation period in 2022.

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