Four oversized semi-autogenous grinding mill components, weighing more than 365 tonnes, have been transported from Germany through the Port of Durban as part of a multimodal project cargo operation.
The components, destined for a mine elsewhere in Africa, were moved by barge from Papenburg to the Port of Hamburg before being shipped to Durban, according to DSV.
The cargo was subsequently transported on specialised hydraulic multi-axle trailers to a staging warehouse in Vanderbijlpark, Gauteng. It will be stored there temporarily before continuing to its final destination, which DSV has not disclosed.
Each component is 14 metres long, 5.8 metres wide and three metres high, requiring specialised handling and transport arrangements throughout the journey.
The movement is expected to take approximately 203 days from the manufacturing facility to the final destination. It requires customs clearances, special transport permits and police escorts for the abnormal load road sections.
Live location tracking, as well as temperature and shock monitoring, is being used to track the cargo and its condition throughout the journey.
“A movement of this scale requires detailed planning from risk management and route planning through to execution,” said DSV Director: Projects – Mozambique, Namibia and DAS Kris van Heerden.
The operation is being managed by DSV’s South African team working with its German operation in planning, loading and coordination at origin.
