Leverkusen | July 29, 2009: Chemion Logistik safely transports and handles a heavyweight

„Chemion Logistik has been the ideal partner for us for both the planning and execution of a part of the transport of the transformer as well as for its transfer to the vessel“, explains Tobias Mengs, Transport Engineer at Nuclear Cargo+Service GmbH, HCS Division. The company had been tasked with transporting a transformer to a transformer substation in Alsace/France. After a thorough analysis the comapny decided to use the transport modes of rail and water. The shipper looked for a competent partner to transport the transformer by rail from Cologne-Kalk and to load it on board an inland vessel. „A major factor in favour of Chemion was the fact that the logistics service provider possesses high-capacity locomotives. Another important reason for choosing Chemion as a partner were the well-equipped transshipment facilities at the port of the Leverkusen CHEMPARK,“ adds Tobias Mengs. Because of the transfomer’s huge weight of 179 tons the transfer from rail to ship required the use of two heavy-duty cranes – and this again required a solid and well-designed quay wall.

DB Network and Currenta, the operator of the CHEMPARK, prepared the more than two-hour journey in great detail to ensure safe transportation by rail from Cologne-Kalk to Leverkusen inspite of overlength and overwidth: in order to avoid obstacles along the route the transformer had to be lifted or shifted sidewards several times during transport. The handling at the Leverkusen plant site was carefully planned so as to not to disturb the operation of the internal rail traffic. Also, the transfer to the inland vessel at the Leverkusen port required a high degree of precision: The transformer was stowed away in the vessel’s belly with good fingertip feeling and, then, the heavyweight was able to continue its journey up the river Rhine to Strasbourg. Jörg Schmilewski, who accompanied the transport and transfer project as an account executive for Chemion is pleased with the team performance of his colleagues, an essential prerequisite for the smooth functioning of the combined process. „This job makes it once again clear that our experience in close-to-site logistics puts us in the position to accomplish extraordinary tasks as well. These inquiries in particular are what we understand to be a challenge in a positive sense and we are pleased to make our know-how and our equipment available for their realization.“