The GPLN member Access Freight Projects (AFP) has recently been involved in the delivery of a 3500 TPD cement plant ex Mumbai to Tanga, Tanzania. The project is being commissioned by a Kenyan mining and cement manufacturing conglomerate who ordered the new cement plant to be commissioned at their existing Lime plant near the Tanzania port of Tanga (North of Dar es Salaam).

Coming off the back of the successful delivery of a 1000 TPD turn key cement plant project at Ndola, Zambia, in 2006 and the successful completion of two other major materials bulk handling projects in Zambia in 2007 for the same manufacturer of the Tanga cement plant, the shipper naturally turned to Access to come up with a solution for the delivery of this new cement plant project in Tanga.

“Although this contract would be FOB, the shipper strongly recommended the Access and its partners to the client as the only logistics provider to handle a project of this scope,” said Brad Stephens, COO for Projects at AFP, “And this was a recommendation that the importer later decided to follow. Our AFP projects team immediately traveled to Dar es Salaam, Tanga and Mombasa and together with our local heavy lift expert agents conducted a port feasibility study and route survey.”
The options for discharge were Dar es Salaam Port, Tanga Port and Mombasa Port for onward delivery to the site some 20kms outside Tanga. The cargo comprised of 1,457 mt and 5,148 m3 of break bulk cargo and some 300 TEU of containers. The largest single pieces of breakbulk were mill shells of 15.5m long and 4.5m in diameter and weighing 105 mt each.

It was clear that the break bulk would require a geared charter vessel capable of lifting this massive cargo.

“While Tanga was obviously the closest port, it is not necessarily the best solution being that it is not served directly from any port other than Dar es Salaam and Mombasa, “said Brad Stephens, “This meant that cargo would have to be transshipped at one of these ports. Dar es Salaam has its advantages of direct sailings from Mumbai but port congestion is a concern and the bridge weight limitations ruled out the route from Dar to Tanga for the break bulk.”

Tanga port is a natural harbor but is also very shallow and ocean going vessels cannot berth alongside the main quay. Ships have to anchor midstream and discharge to lighter barges which ferry the cargo across to the quay. There are only 2 x 45 mt shore cranes designed for container handling positioned on the quay so this also meant that the break bulk charter vessel would not be able to discharge directly in Tanga.

“Our route survey from Tanga to Mombasa revealed that discharge in Mombasa and onward delivery by road from there to Tanga would also not be possible due to the weight limitations of the bridges on that route,” said Stephens, “Finally a solution was resolved to charter the break bulk vessel to Mombasa where it would discharge the cargo midstream to a massive sea going barge. The barge would be pre-loaded with a crawler crane and the multi-axle lowbeds and temporary propping stools for the heaviest cargo. The barge would then sail South from Mombasa to Tanga and with her shallow draft come alongside the quay at Tanga. The lowbeds would then drive off with the cargo directly to site. For the super heavy pieces, the multi-axle lowbed would drive under the stools and jack up the cargo onto its load bed to deliver the cargo to site. For the containers we resolved to transship to barge in Dar es Salaam and deliver to Tanga on through bills.”

Last month the first consignment of break bulk cargo was successfully transported according to the plan and all pieces were delivered without any reported incidents or near misses – quite a feat considering the infrastructural limitations in that part of the world!