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The heavy-lift specialists at BLG are
at home in the Ports of Bremen and
Bremerhaven. They are able to handle
and further process all types of XXL
goods, as well as bring them safely to
their destination along the entire chain
of transport at three terminals: the Auto
and RoRo Terminal in Bremerhaven,
the Offshore Terminal Bremerhaven
and the Neustädter Hafen.
They are supported in their efforts
by plenty of space on the quay,
high-performance equipment and
good hinterland connections. As an
international logistics provider, BLG not
only works at its own terminals, but also
offers its expertise and services related
to heavy-lift cargo all around the world.
An international hub
for high & heavy
The annual high and heavy cargo
handling volume comes to around
1.2 million tons. The terminal has a
high and heavy area of 340,000m
²
(20,000m
²
covered) near the quay,
featuring state-of-the-art equipment,
including a floating crane, mobile port
crane, tractor units (tugmaster), reach
stackers and self-propelled modular
transporters. The focus is on all kinds
of self-propelled or rolling units. The
BLG network for automobile logistics
ensures that nearly every port in the
world, and thus any destination, is
accessible from Bremerhaven.
The offshore wind energy industry
is based, for the most part, in
Bremerhaven. BLG performed
cargo handling services for
the first 900 tons of heavy
foundation structures
as well as other
heavy-lift components up to 1,600 tons
for German offshore wind farms, such as
Global Tech 1 and Borkum West.
The Fraunhofer Institute for Wind Energy
and Energy System Technology (IWES),
located in Bremerhaven, carries out
applied research and development.
Once again the know-how and
equipment of the logistics specialists
was required for the IWES test bench,
which can test complete nacelles of
wind turbines of the multi-megawatt
class. In the course of installation of the
test bench, BLG heavy-lift specialists
discharged three components weighing
up to 140 tons at nearby Labradorhafen
and took them to the IWES about a
kilometer away by means of their SPMTs.
There the components were fastened to
the institute’s deck crane and installed.
Too heavy for road transport?
XXL assembly on the quay
BLG provides its clients with outdoor
areas in both Bremerhaven and Bremen
for the assembly of large components
directly on the quay. Aside from cargo
handling, the logistics services embrace
assembly assistance with heavy-lift
cranes, forklifts or other equipment. BLG’s
clients also include plant engineering
specialist Linde AG. Linde has been
assembling large air separation plants at
Neustädter Hafen in Bremen for years.
BLG provides Linde with the required
areas and equipment, such as heavy-lift
cranes and forklifts, as well as power and
water. If necessary, the port operator’s
staff and know-how are also available.
BLG services for Linde encompass
renting outdoor storage and shed areas,
provision of equipment and personnel,
receiving and delivering vendor parts and
bringing them to the assembly site as
well as planning, organizing and carrying
out the loading of air separation plants
onto heavy-lift vessels.
‘XXL assembly’ services are also in
demand in the offshore wind industry.
For the Borkum West wind farm, for
instance, a construction site with heavy-lift
capability was set up for the foundation
of the substation platform at BLG’s
offshore terminal. Other services included
provision of containers, equipment,
supply of material and supplying the
contract site with consumables. Moreover,
for its client BLG planned the joining of
two sections of the jacket substation by
means of two crawler cranes via tandem
lift and the deployment of various mobile
cranes for further assembly work. The
company additionally offers engineering
services. A special substructure (grillage)
was designed for the wind farm project.
Prior to loading the 50m high component
weighing 1,616 tons directly onto a
pontoon using 60-axle SPMTs, BLG
calculated the required crane capacity
and attached the slinging devices. After
completion of the entire installation work
the wind farm can now generate 800
GW-hours of electricity and thus supply
around 200,000 households.
XXL projects
16
Logistics Business Magazine | September 2015
PORT OPERATIONS