Heavy Lift: Massive Gas Turbine Shipped to Turkey

Not only did the operation involve the transport of the largest gas turbine ever manufactured by Siemens, it also marked the first call of this class of Rickmers-Linie ship – a 30,000dwt multipurpose heavy lift vessel – in Bremerhaven, the place where the Rickmers Group was founded in 1834.

The Siemens gas turbine, which can generate up to 600 megawatts, was loaded from a barge onto Rickmers Hamburg and was followed by a generator and accessories. The parts belong to a gas power plant project, in Hamitabat close to Lüleburgaz in the northwest of Turkey, which is scheduled to be completed by summer 2017. 

The load is the first of four shipments and will be discharged in the port of Tekirdag, southwest of Istanbul. Rickmers-Linie’s specialized vessels will make three more calls at Bremerhaven to load cargo for this project. 

Navitrans, agents for Rickmers-Linie in Turkey, secured the project for Rickmers-Linie in negotiations with Bertling Logistics in Istanbul, the nominated freight forwarder, which is coordinating logistics for this project. The office of Bertling Logistics in Hamburg supported their Turkish colleagues with the pre-carriage arrangements in Germany as well as in local coordination and documentation.

Dirk Gindl, General Manager Sales Germany at Rickmers-Linie commented on the loading operation, "Due to the weight of the cargo and the (for us) historic background of the location, this was not just like any other port call. Of course, no loading operation is ever exactly like another and it is never a routine. As always, thorough preparation, taking into consideration the value, size and weight of the cargo, was key to ensure a smooth and safe operation.”

Bremerhaven is the city where Clasen Rickmers established his shipyard in 1834. Rickmers-Linie, a specialized liner operator for the worldwide carriage of break bulk, heavy lift and project cargoes, continues the Rickmers tradition, being one of the companies of Rickmers Group.