13.08.09
Successful XXL delivery: Logwin transports tank from Germany to Romania by ship along the Danube
Grevenmacher (Luxembourg) – The international logistics service provider Logwin transported a special 13-tonne tank for the Hanau plant engineers of PASSAVANT ROEDIGER GmbH by barge from Regensburg to Cernavoda in Romania. The heavy load covered a total distance of 2,100 kilometers on the Danube. The destination was a power station in Cernavoda, where the tank is used for the temporary storage of completely desalinated water.
The journey began in the port of Regensburg on 10 July 2009. The supplier had assembled the tank at the port immediately prior to departure in order to avoid having to transport the complete tank from its place of manufacture in one piece.
Eight countries in 13 days
The heavy load passed through a total of eight countries on its 13-day river journey: Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria and Romania. “We had to obtain special transit authorization for Serbia and Croatia beforehand as they do not belong to the EU", explains Holger Philipowski, Manager Transportation Eastern Europe at Logwin's Dietzenbach location. "We reached Cernavoda without any incidents and according to plan on 23 July."
In Cernavoda, the consignment had to be transshipped onto a different means of floating transport, namely a flat-bed trailer on a pontoon. Holger Philipowski: "Expert handling was required to lift the extremely heavy load onto the pontoon floating between the barge and the quay wall using a mobile crane." Propelled by a pusher barge, the tank covered around another 1 ½ kilometers on the Danube–Black Sea Canal. The flat-bed trailer finally reached the river bank via a slipway, the so-called Danube ramp.
Crossing under power lines and getting over walls
On the way to its final destination, the load had to negotiate two power lines and a telephone line. And the final leg of the journey brought further challenges, since it had become clear when the journey was being planned that the seven-meter wide and 17-meter long vehicle combination would not fit through the power station's main gate. It was therefore planned to use a mobile crane to lift the tank over the two-meter high perimeter wall. However, bad weather with high wind speeds made it impossible to carry out the plan. After consultations with the power station operator, the main gate was dismantled and parts of the wall were removed. The flat-bed trailer could be pumped up high enough for the tank to be heaved onto the power station grounds without any problems and then to be driven to the installation site.
“Careful preparation and quick reactions to unexpected events are extremely important to execute projects of this type successfully", says Holger Philipowski. "With our long experience in oversized transportation, we know exactly what matters – especially in the countries of Eastern Europe."
About Logwin AG
As an external partner, Logwin AG, based in Grevenmacher (Luxembourg), develops a comprehensive range of logistics and service solutions for trade and industry. In 2008, the group generated sales of 2.0 billion euros and currently employs approximately 8.000 staff in 45 countries. Logwin operates in main markets worldwide and has over 400 locations across all continents. With its three business segments Solutions (customer-oriented contract logistics), Air + Ocean (global air and ocean freight forwarding activities) and Road + Rail (land and special transportation activities in Central, Western and Eastern Europe) Logwin AG is one of the market leaders.
Logwin AG is listed on the Prime Standard of the Deutsche Börse. The majority shareholder is DELTON AG, Bad Homburg (Germany).
Your contact:
Holger Philipowski
Manager Transportation Eastern Europe at Logwin's Dietzenbach location
Phone: +49 6074 4000-50
holger.philipowski@logwin-logistics.com
Logwin AG | ZIR Potaschberg | 5, an de Laengten | 6776 Grevenmacher | Luxembourg
