Across three waterways
Moving ten beer tanks from Serbia to Italy is challenging. R & B Global Projects deployed trucks, inland barges as well as ocean-going vessels to manage such an order recently.
The Belgians Ilse Blockx and Dave Roosen and their logistics enterprise R & B Global Projects have been active in the Balkans for seven years now. Despite their extensive experience, large project logistics operations still represent special challenges for them – even when they are repeat orders.
This was the case when R & B was commissioned to transport ten beer tanks from a Heineken brewery located in Novi Sad (Serbia) to Italy. The tanks, each of which was 24 m high, weighed 43 t and sported a diameter of 7.3 m, were riveted in place in the brewery when R & B started its task, which included disconnecting and unbolting them.
As the tanks were set to be used again in Italy, R & B also had to transport connecting stairways, pumps, ladders, supports, bolts and sundry other accessories as part of the freight. The project required Roosen to plan well in advance, as he told the ITJ. “You could say that the biggest challenge in this project was coordinating all the parties involved, with the punctuality of all of the cranes, heavylift trucks, barges and ships a top priority. The daily cost factor involved can make or break such a deal.”
Five ships sailed down the Danube to Romania
Once R & B had dismantled the tanks they were ready to be lifted by the crane. A 500 t unit lifted the pieces in the brewery and with the aid of a smaller tail-crane placed them horizontally on a trailer, which was equipped with specially-made wooden saddles. The tanks’ fragile outside wall was placed in ribbed rubber mats.
Transport through Serbia’s second-largest city was carried out during the night, so as not to obstruct traffic. The 5 km route to the port of Novi Sad had been prepared in advance. It took ten days for all of the tanks to arrive at the port and be loaded onto the inland barges. Five vessels were needed; each had two tanks on board. This floating convoy than headed east on the river Danube, destined for the Romanian port of Constantza, where the next transhipment was due after ten days.
For the crossing from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean Sea only two ships were needed to transport all the tanks. This crossing lasted almost nine days before the tanks were unloaded in Taranto and Cagliari (Sardinia).
Roosen was satisfied with the overall course of the project. “We’re proud that we were able to keep our client’s account free of extra charges. There were some minor additional costs, but we always take them into account in advance. Our experience with projects in the Balkans helps, of course.”
The project business will remain an important pillar of R & B’s overall business activities in future too. The company expects to manage three or four such major orders again next year.
