Download - BIG BLOCK BOILER STEAMS INTO TENGIZ
BIG BLOCK BOILER STEAMS INTO TENGIZ Together with the Base Business contract for Tengizchevroil (TCO), in December 2013, Bertling was also awarded the contract to engineer and execute a transport solution for the Big Block Boiler for the SGE Capacity and Reliability (CAR) project. This involved the delivery of the Boiler in one piece from Italy to Tengiz in Kazakhstan measuring 17.5m x 9.0m x 9.0m and weighing 330 Tonnes. Clearly moving a piece of cargo the size of a small apartment block to a location hundreds of kilometres from a port on the north Caspian coast would be a major challenge. Bertling’s history with TCO includes the movement of massive columns via a specially modified rail route and rolling stock from Atyrau to the Tengiz refinery some 10 years ago and indeed a previous contractor had investigated a similar concept based on the then 300Te projected Boiler weight. Bertling’s rail engineers in Moscow took up this challenge, now at the projected weight of 340Te. Working with a specialist rail engineering bureau, a low‐bed design was developed, slung between two 16 axle bogies with Schnabel necks.
As development work progressed it became clear that the maximum rail bogie wheel loads would be exceeded due to the self‐weight of the Boiler and low‐bed assembly together with the counterweight needed to trim the huge lateral offset in CofG. The rail authorities seemed to have little appetite for this movement and huge rail improvement costs were foreseen. At this point, Bertling engineers began discussing the possibility of a road movement of the Boiler and accessories, now to be accompanied by a large Caustic Settler vessel, from either Aktau sea port or Atyrau river port. The route from Aktau was rejected due to dangerous road conditions and Atyrau was selected as the most feasible. Bertling then teamed‐up with Sarens, a company with a major presence in the Kazakhstan market and regular contractor to both Bertling and TCO. At the end of May 2014, a proposal was put to TCO involving a 460km road move from Atyrau requiring the construction of nine rail and river bridge bypasses, the removal of a pipebridge in Atyrau city as well as the disconnection or raising of numerous power cables up to 220kV. This was approved. The Big Block Boiler emerging from the Macchi shop Lifting onto the heavy lift vessel at Macchi’s berth in Porto Marghera on SPMT’s
BIG BLOCK BOILER STEAMS INTO TENGIZ Right from the start, we had a massive impact on schedule when the charter vessel experienced congestion delays at two previous discharge ports in North Africa. We were already 2 weeks late loading the cargo in Italy. The HL vessel departed Porto Marghera on 6th September. The original plan was to trans‐ship, HL vessel to barge, in Mariupol but the worsening conflict in eastern Ukraine led to the decision to abandon this port and find a suitable port outside of Ukraine. The use of Varna in Bulgaria was agreed but this now required the towing of the barge across the Black Sea to Azov and the acquisition of a suitable ocean tug at short notice. The HL vessel made for Varna, some 1,340nm from Porto Marghera. On arrival, the ship to barge trans‐shipment began.
Boiler landed to barge in Varna Caustic Settler and Economiser landed to barge
Boiler securing completed Tug & barge departing Varna into the Black Sea Following the worst storms in the Black Sea, Kerch Strait and Azov Sea for years, and haven taken shelter in several locations, the tug and barge arrived at Azov port 9 days after departure to hand over to river tugs for passage via the Volga‐Don canal and river system. Having crossed the Caspian, the barge finally arrived in Atyrau river port on 15th October after a 1,560nm tow. Our transport contractor supplied brand new Kamag K25 modular trailers fitted with rear “booster” axles for the Boiler which would allow addition self‐propulsion to be switched on from the truck cab on poor ground or gradients.
BIG BLOCK BOILER STEAMS INTO TENGIZ
Barge berthed at Atyrau river port on the Ural River 1,250Te crawler crane discharging Boiler to trailers
Atyrau city district heating system pipebridge removed One of nine bridge bypasses under construction Transport delays caused by weather, ground conditions at the bypasses and overhead power companies turned the road transportation into a marathon. Of the 460km route some 130km of gravel or poorly paved road had to be repaired or graded. This could only be effected directly in front of the convoy to prevent the repairs being damaged by other traffic. As the temperatures dropped well below zero, a heating system was fitted to the boiler to keep the interior warm. 42 days after departing from Atyrau, the convoy arrived at the Tengiz refinery, safely and without incident.