Global tie-up adds project muscle

A global partnership tie-up has allowed GAC Laser International Logistics to play a more significant role in SA’s project cargo industry, according to Durban-based regional managing executive, Carol Holland. “GAC owns 50% of Laser International Logistics in SA,” she told FTW. “As a result, we have secured additional project shipments. This due to their many years’ experience and specialisation in project management worldwide.” The group has a widespread area of focus for its project cargo division, operating in such industry sectors as oil and gas, mining, engineering, procurement and construction, pulp and paper, plant and factory relocation, and military and aid cargo. And a look at its recent orderbook for project shipments shows an equally wide selection of product types that the company has moved. The export of two umbilical reelers in a 40-foot (12-metre) flat rack from Cape Town to Scotland was one such project. This out-ofgauge consignment measured 3.75 m long, 2.8 m wide and 3.66 m high, weighing in at 19-metric tonnes and occupying a volume of 76.086-cubic metres. “We have also recently handled a number of abnormal shipments for a platinum smelter expansion project,” said Holland. “One of these was a shipment from Hamburg to Durban – with a final destination in Rustenburg – consisting of two star coolers.” Another export move was the road transport of two Mafi tractors to Lobito in Angola. Destined for the SAB Miller brewery at Rosslyn were five fermentation tanks – each measuring 21.859-m long, 5.675-m in diameter, scaling in at a weight of 25-tonnes a tank, and giving a total project weight of 125-t. These GAC Laser International Logistics freighted directly from the manufacturing works in Germany and delivered to the SAB site in June to August last year.