ESKOM rises to massive 406-ton logical challange

It was an incredible journey that left experienced logistics experts in awe. Weighing in at 406 tons, the single biggest cargo ever to be moved on an alternative route in South Africa, ESKOM’s transformer literally brought traffic to a halt. “The movement of the transformer from the Port of Richards Bay to Tutuka Power Station outside of Standerton in Mpumalanga required very careful planning,” said Vonani Ntlhabyane, ESKOM shipping manager. “Nothing could be left to chance seeing that the large, heavy duty combination was going to be the first to break the 1 000-ton gross combination mass and was being moved on an alternative route – Melmoth (R66), Vryheid, Piet Retief (R33/34) – due to road works on the N2 Pongola Superload route. The devil is in the detail as they say and we made sure that every minute aspect was considered and taken care of before the team could even leave the port.” Today the transformer stands proud at the power station, doing its part in keeping South Africa’s lights on following its slow, but successful journey – proof that South Africa has the ability to handle abnormal and delicate project cargo of this nature. “Having been informed by the South African National Roads Agency Ltd (Sanral) that we would have to make use of an alternative route due to road works on the N2 Pongola highway, ESKOM Holdings – instead of delaying the delivery – took the bull by the horns and started a long clearance exercise. “The destined route was going to be closed for at least 18-24 months and that implied that all cargo would either have to wait or be moved via an alternative route,” said Ntlhabyane. “We are in the process of augmenting our power supply through new build projects and refurbishment of our current fleet to ensure that South Africa has enough power to support its economy and daily needs of its citizens. We needed a solution to get our cargo, regardless of its size, to its destination rather than delay our ongoing projects.” The first step was to appoint road clearance consultants to assess the alternative route that would see the multiple truck combination with an overall length of 160 metres and an overall gross combination mass of 1 126 tons go through the towns of Empangeni, Melmoth, Vryheid, Paulpietersberg, Piet Retief, Ermelo, Hendrina, Witbank, Kinross and finally Standerton. According to Dennis Child, head of logistics at ESKOM Holdings, who carefully selected the team responsible for moving the cargo, the alternative route had limitations on unit loading and there were seven bridge structures that had to be evaluated by structural engineers. “Various areas were also identified where street furniture had to be removed ahead of time to allow safe passage of the combination, while at the R34/R66 junction in Nkwalini a shunt had to be planned as the combination was too long to allow turning of the large beam trailer.” According to Child, communication throughout the entire process was a key factor in the successful transportation of the transformer. “The journey took ten days only travelling weekdays between 6am and 6pm at a maximum speed limit of 15km per hour to cover the 860km, using six trucks to pull the load. Everyone involved had to be on the same page all the time and that is only achieved by good communication.” Calm and steady won the race. There were times when visibility was terrible, while at other times the heat affected the truck engines, but the team made it through as they always kept one aspect in mind – safety. “There was no compromising on safety,” said Ntlhabyane. “We chose not only our equipment well, but also our people. This entire project was handled safely because we did not cut corners. If there was any doubt the team would stop and wait, assess the situation and then make an informed decision before moving on.” CAPTION The multiple truck combination – with an overall length of 160 metres and an overall gross combination mass of 1 126 tons – winds its way to the Tutuka Power Station in Mpumalanga.