FTL targets project cargo niche

Mauritian-based logistics group, FTL, has singled out project cargo management as a key focus in the SA market. It marks amongst its major successes in this field the likes of the Midlands Dam project in Mauritius – being responsible for moving a total volume of 50 TEUs and 5 000 cubic metres of breakbulk cargo. Added to that were the Fort George power station expansion – with a heaviest lift of 187 tonnes; Fort Victoria power station with six 250t engines; and St Louis power station with 400 TEUs, 3 900cu-m of breakbulk, and a heaviest lift of a 250t generator. But the star of FTL’s project cargo show was definitely the massive Ambatovy Project on Madagascar, for which the company acted as team manager. That saw seafreight moves of an astounding 1 014 885t of breakbulk cargo carried by 186 vessels, and an equally impressive 13 213 TEUs of containerised cargo. On the airfreight side, FTL managed 1 525t of air cargo, with a frequency of one charter flight a week to move the total volume. The company’s shipping agency arm, Southern Marine, also acted as agents for 60 chartered vessels. FTL also managed over 100 heavylifts for the project – including five autoclaves of 800t each; two converters of 400t each; and 70 storage tanks weighing between 50t and 150t each. INSERT Ambatovy project saw seafreight moves of an astounding 1 014 885t of breakbulk cargo carried.