Höegh proves perfect fit for breakbulk cargo

According to Soraya Safedien, Höegh Autoliners Sales Manager in South Africa, many customers on the continent still think that RoRo vessels only transport cars. Höegh Autoliners has extensive experience in shipping out-of-gauge breakbulk cargo and consequently, we presented this to the customer.

Part of the challenge, said Wanda Blignault, Marketing Executive for Themba Dry Cargo, of transporting the cargo to its destination was getting the right shipping company.

We contacted a couple of companies but because of the out-of-gauge proportions of the assets we were turned away by all but one – Höegh Autoliners. They were literally the only one that could help.

The complex breakbulk shipment consisted of two large tilting frames, each 18MT and two furnace shells, each 21.1MT. A mobile crane was used to transfer the cargo pieces from the road truck trailers, which they had been transported on, directly onto Höegh’s rolltrailers. The width of the units on the 40-foot rolltrailers presented a challenge as there was a two-metre overhang on the tilting frames and a 1.35m overhang with the furnace shells.

Höegh’s Port Captain supervising the operations says, “Because of the overhang, the risk for damage is high. To ensure the breakbulk cargo could be safely loaded on board, we had to have an optimal angle of approach and the ground clearance of the overhang had to be increased. We therefore added extra dunnage beneath the cargo to increase its height.”

With all four breakbulk units safely loaded on board Höegh Osaka, additional dunnage support was placed on each side of the cargo overhang to prevent any movement and protect the highly sophisticated cargo during its sea voyage.

William Hepplewhite, Höegh Autoliners Head of Sales South Africa says,

This is the type of beakbulk cargo our vessels are designed to handle. With the success of this shipment we were able to prove that our vessels and equipment were perfectly suited to transport this type of out-of-gauge cargo.