International transport-logistics company AsstrA Associated Traffic AG has successfully completed another oversized cargo delivery project, this time from Villabrazaro, Spain to Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria. The project lasted from May to July 2017.
The AsstrA Wood and Paper Division, which serves Clients from the woodworking, pulp, and paper industries, handled this unusual project invoving the delivery of a chipboard production plant from Spain to Bulgaria.
The shipper was the Kronospan group of prodcution companies, which needed to transport more than 100 oversized production line pieces designed for the manufacture of chipboards. Most of the parts and structures belong to the oversized cargo category, with some reaching 5 meters in height and 5.5 m in width. AsstrA Heavy Lift experts in the Polish cities of Poznań and Gdańsk were directly involved in the preparation and implementation of the project. Preliminary inspection of the work was performed by employees on the ground in Spain and allowed the entire team to make optimal choices regarding the combined, multi-stage logistics scheme.
Part of the plant, which consisted of over 50 oversized pieces, was originally delivered by land to the port of Leixioes, Portugal. Over 3 weeks, the load was gradually exported from Spain and then stored at a public warehouse. So as to ensure compliance with the Client's request for “under deck” carriage of goods, specific decisions about shipping dates and times were made together with port agents and the charter company.
For delivery by sea, a special ship with a double loading deck known as a "twindecker" was commissioned. For two days, under the guidance of AsstrA Heavy Lift specialists, the loading and fastening the cargo on the ship was carried out with maximum precision.
The cargo was delivered to the port of Varna, Bulgaria, 10 days after dispatch. Then 10 convoys of trucks brought it to the final place of discharge at the Kronospan factory in Veliko Tarnovo.
The second step was to transport the remaining 50 plant parts by road. Various reliable Partners, carriers and transport companies, were chosen to complete transport simultaneously. Transportation was carried out exclusively at night.
The most challenging project stage was the unloading of oversized parts and assemblies at the final destination, the plant in Bulgaria. In the first instance, we made the decision to dismantle parts of the factory building itself in order to ensure that the discharge valve could enter as intended. The plant engineers were able to resolve this issue without drastic measures and allow the quick and professional completion of the project.
All phases of the project were personally supervised by Przemyslaw Baranski, Head of the Heavy Lift Division at AsstrA.
Successful completion of this customized project is yet another indicator of the competence and reliability of AsstrA. For over 10 years, the Heavy Lift Division has been providing complex transport and logistics services related to oversized and heavy cargo. The division serves Clients with all modes of transport and combined delivery schemes. The company uses its own specialized fleet of vehicles that may be used in conjunction with railway, sea or river transport.