Project Cargo lifts hope

The already specialized project cargo is getting more specialized with industries requiring highly customized logistics solutions for projects involving moving complex cargo.

Demand for project cargo carriage is strong and going to get even stronger. Part of the demand is coming from the need to transport heavy equipment for growing number of industries that have project sites at remote locations around the world. One such industry is the wind energy business in the alternate energy sector. Transportation of wind turbines of varying sizes and dimensions is both a challenge and an opportunity for modern day logisticians. In fact there is an increasing trend for manufacturers to try to ship large pieces of complex plant already assembled, to cut down on local assembly. Those trends create demand for new multi-purpose heavy lift ships (MPPs), and old skills. “Wind turbine blades are awkward things to transport,” says Ian Morgan, CEO of Cardiff-based Graig Ship Management (GSM). They need new types of ships to move the blades and towers efficiently. And as turbine parts only move one way, that frees up project cargo ships to move big lifts on the back haul, which has changed the global market for project cargo. But one thing has not changed. That is the need for very good experienced crews on the MPPs. Handling large, heavy and delicate lifts is a very special skill set, and the consequences of not getting the lift or securing right can be huge. If a major plant unit is damaged, a whole project can be delayed. GSM built and operated specialised heavy lift project cargo vessels in China starting in the mid 1990s, and manages a fleet of project cargo ships. “We are helping to build some new wind turbine carriers,” said Morgan in a recent media release. “These ships need a special hold configuration for the turbines blades, and they need big cranes for the backhaul leg, where they will compete in the project cargo market. That is where they will also need the skilled crews. Today we are often asked to move units over 40 metre long and weighing up to 400 tonnes. That calls for rather special ships, and above all, experienced crews. For project cargo work, while the right ship is important, the right crew is even more vital. The new designs that GMS is supervising have more room to carry trainees and cadets. “That will be needed to preserve the skill base as there is no way moving project cargoes can be learnt from a book,” said Morgan in a report. “Project cargo clearly drives the heavy-lift sector. Many traditional project industries appear to have turned the corner recently, and the list of contracts being signed around the globe continues to grow. Whether it is gas exploration off Australia, wind farms in Brazil and India, or hydropower in China, the world appears to have awakened to concern for the climate and the related potential for renewable energy,” Oatway said in Breakbulk’s Ocean Carriers’ Market Outlook. Recently Crowley Maritime Corporation announced the formation of a joint venture with IbisTek, called IbisTek Crowley, to provide a comprehensive package of project logistics, energy support services and emergency response capabilities in Ghana, West Africa. The partnership, which meets the local standards required to be considered an “indigenous Ghanaian company,” leverages Crowley’s worldwide logistics footprint and project expertise and Ghana-based IbisTek’s existing relationships and customer base in the region. The IbisTek Crowley office maximizes local participation in the oil and gas support sector through the staffing of Ghanaian national employees who will work closely with Crowley’s US counterparts to ensure that the company’s culture and its values – which include safety, integrity and high performance – are fully adopted. This specialise team will be closely linked with Crowley’s existing Houston-based warehouse and distribution center, which also provides international project logistics and global freight management services. “Crowley and IbisTek are uniquely suited to jointly serve these industries in Africa,” said Crowley’s Bleu Hillburn, director, logistics. “Crowley has provided turnkey solutions worldwide for many years utilizing the company’s diverse capabilities, assets and world-class project management skills. Our logistics team is very much looking forward to working with IbisTek to provide greater value to customers doing business in this region.”