German heavy lift expert Combi Lift has successfully completed the first phase of the Gazprom Amur Gas Processing Plant Project in Russia. The last cargo was delivered to Svobodny one month before the last contractual delivery date.

Thanks to detailed planning by Combi Lift’s project management team in Bremen and tight monitoring by Combi Lift’s on-site team in Russia, discharging was finalised on September 16, 2018.

The Linde Group hired Combi Lift to be the exclusive logistics partner for oversized and heavy lift cargo for the Gazprom Amur GPP Project. The transport can only be done during the summertime, taking advantage of the ice-free periods on the Amur and Zeya Rivers.

“The winning relationship with our client, The Linde Group, ensured that the project preparation phase and later operations were very efficient. There were no damages during the entire first transport phase, which was completed one month before the last contractual delivery date. We aim for the same success with phase two, beginning on May 15, 2019,” explained Holger Krenz, Head of Project Management Gazprom Amur GPP Project at Combi Lift.

The eight tugs and seven barges carried 79 pieces (61,755 freight tonnes) from De-Kastri to Svobodny between May 18 and September 16. Each trip from De-Kastri to the jetty is 2371 kilometres long and takes about 21 days. The entire scope involves transporting over 176,000 freight tonnes of cargo, including 12 columns weighing 900 tonnes each.

About the project: Spanning 2,824 kilometres, the Amur River is the world’s tenth longest river, forming the border between the far eastern part of Russia and north-eastern China. All project cargo needs to be discharged in Svobodny, located on the right bank of the Zeya River, a northern tributary of the Amur River. Heavy lift transportation is quite challenging in a place like this: The water is only 1.10 metres deep in some areas, and weather conditions are often severe.

Combi Lift developed a sophisticated concept to master this difficult feat: Heavy lift vessels will transport the cargo from ports in Europe and Korea, which then will be transferred to barges on the sheltered inner anchorage of the port of De-Kastri. Special shallow draft pusher tugs will tow the barges up the Amur and Zeya Rivers to Svobodny for discharging at jetty and transfer the cargo to the last mile logistics service provider.

The cargo will be shipped in five phases from 2018 to 2022, taking advantage of the ice-free periods on the Amur and Zeya Rivers.

The four Amur River tugs, four Zeya River shallow draft tugs and seven barges were custom-built by the Damen Shipyards Group for this project. They are designed to cope with extremely low water levels, especially on the Zeya River. All of the tugs and barges sail under the Russian flag, and are classed by Russian River Register (RRR) respectively the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping (RMRS).

Gazprom, The Linde Group, Gazprom Pererabotka Blagoveshchensk and NIPIGAS will use the delivered components for the Gazprom Amur GPP Project – one of the largest natural gas processing plants in the world, with a capacity of up to 42 billion cubic metres of natural gas per year. The plant is part of Gazprom’s project to supply Russian gas from eastern Siberian gas fields to China using the “Power of Siberia” pipeline. This will be built in five phases and completed by 2024.

About Combi Lift: Over the last 18 years, Combi Lift’s experienced mariners and engineers have become experts in the worldwide transport of heavy lift and project cargoes. From the outset, Combi Lift has focussed on developing smart and efficient engineering solutions for complex logistics tasks. The Harren & Partner Group affiliate provides clients with customised solutions that suit individual demands and expectations, developed in close cooperation with expert teams.

For more information about Combi Lift, go to www.combi-lift.net

For more information about Harren & Partner, go to www.harren-partner.de

Bremen-based shipping company Harren & Partner is proud to announce the acquisition of the offshore construction vessel, MV Blue Giant for an undisclosed price from the English operator, OIG Group. Harren & Partner’s Offshore Department, headed by Robert Fowler (offshore@hp-shipping.de) will be responsible for managing the vessel.

Peter Harren, Founder and Managing Director of Harren & Partner, explains the strategy behind the purchase: “Although the oil markets are currently still recovering, we have deliberately opted for this investment despite its counter-cyclical nature. Alongside our classic offshore activities, we also wish to further strengthen our position in attractive niche markets such as the salvage business, where this vessel also has possibilities for deployment.”

“Blue Giant is a cutting-edge vessel which represents an important enhancement of our diversified H&P fleet. It extends our scope of action to provide our customers with comprehensive, yet customised solutions,” says Dr. Martin Harren, Managing Director of Harren & Partner.

The history of the MV Blue Giant has come full circle as it was built in 2008 to the order of Harren & Partner at Lloyd Werft Bremerhaven, Germany. It was one of the first ships to combine the functions of a dock ship with those of a Ro-Ro and heavy lift vessel. After several successful offshore and salvage projects in the Gulf of Mexico and the Gulf Coast of the United States, MV Blue Giant was sold in 2011 to the OIG Group. Since delivery the vessel has been continuously under the technical management of Harren & Partner. In 2017 during the ice-free summer months the vessel was used for extensive maintenance and repair work on a gas platform in the Pechora Sea, Russia.

The offshore construction vessel (length 179.63 m, breadth 25.40 m) has a variety of special features. For example its dynamic positioning system (DP2). This allows for fast and efficient changes of location without the need for tugs. With a combined crane capacity of up to 700 t and one height extended crane up to 60 m, MV Blue Giant is able to salvage containers from the top layers. Furthermore the vessel is equipped with a cabin block which can accommodate up to 200 people, a moon pool, a helideck and a fire fighting system reaching a distance of 180 m. Heiko Felderhoff, Managing Director of Harren & Partner, underlines the flexibility of MV Blue Giant: “It’s a highly adaptable ship that can also be used as an emergency response vessel. There are few things that it can’t do,” he enthuses.

Following its ten-year class renewal in Bremerhaven, MV Blue Giant will be in perfect shape to meet the upcoming challenges. Currently, Harren & Partner is holding intensive talks about future projects.

About Harren & Partner:

The Bremen-based shipping group was founded in 1989 by Capt. Peter Harren, and employs around 250 people ashore as well as around 2,300 regular crew members on board of vessels. Harren & Partner delivers the full range of services related to the entire life cycle of a ship – from the conceptual designs of new constructions and the extensive technical and nautical management of the fleet, to the sale and purchase of ships. Our core activity involves managing our own fleet as well as external tonnage: Harren Shipping Services GmbH & Co. KG ensures the flawless operations of our fleet of 65 vessels, comprising tankers, container feeders, heavy lift vessels, bulk carriers, dock ships and offshore vessels. With specialised teams for the different types of ships and a strong seafaring DNA embedded in our business culture, Harren & Partner guarantees the highest standards of quality – on both land and sea.

For more information about Harren & Partner, go to www.harren-partner.de