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Precision in Motion: 900T Steel Mill Equipment Journey from Spain to France

In the high-stakes realm of steel production, timing and accuracy are critical, making efficient logistics essential. Back in 2020, Ahlers’ Industry & Energy team was contacted by one of the leading engineering and plant construction companies to transport about 3000 FRT of oversized heavy-lift industrial units for destination France. It took almost 3 more years to launch the project and start meticulous preparation to address all the technical challenges and ensure successful delivery.   

The Early Days of the Project 

The story began in late 2020, when the customer first contacted Ahlers Logistics with the project. As is usually the case with such projects, the path from early contact to actual project execution was not a quick one. A number of budget calculations were done, client eventually decided to produce this custom engineered equipment in Spain and almost three years passed before the project entered its pre-execution phase. The complexity of the task required meticulous planning, custom engineering, and unwavering collaboration between all teams involved. 

«Our customer was initially evaluating various locations where this equipment could be produced. Due to various COVID-19 restrictions and supply chain disruptions that were still applicable at that time, it was decided to produce the equipment ‘closer to home’, in Gijón. However, this brought some other challenges to the project,» − says Marko Buneta, Key Account Manager and Project Coordinator. 

Preparation Works 

One of the major challenges was the oversized dimensions of the main units, requiring specialized handling and transportation solutions. To address this, Ahlers’ team organized a number of route and site surveys with all parties involved, so that most optimal route and way of handling was investigated.  

On top of this, Ahlers also organized engineering and manufacturing of custom transport frames for the main units. Aman Amanov, Project Coordinator, explains: «The customer didn’t have transport frames and considered manufacturing them with a subcontractor. We designed and built the frames from scratch to meet the specific transport needs, saving the customer time and effort.»  

Finally, engineering work was needed to design the seafastening to secure the units during transport, especially since these were going to be transported on a pontoon, across open sea.

 

From Spain to France: The Journey Begins 

Finally, in July 2024, the long-awaited transportation phase began. At the supplier’s site in Gijón, Spain, the Ahlers team mobilized to get the massive components on the move. The first hurdle was the internal movement of the units within the supplier’s yard, a task that called for usage of SPMTs (Self-Propelled Modular Transporters). These SPMTs are designed to move heavy, oversized loads with precision, and they were crucial in ensuring the equipment moved smoothly through the supplier’s facility, where welding works were being completed. 

Another big challenge was dealing with the limited accessibility of the supplier’s private berth in Gijón due to the tides. The berth could only be accessed during certain periods each month when the water levels were high enough to support operations. «The pieces were too large to transport by road through the city to the Gijón El Musel port. Therefore, we had to organize operations here and tackle the challenges posed by the tides, » – explains Nikolay Bogdanov, Business Development Manager. 

To deal with this limitation, Ahlers brought in a pontoon from the Netherlands. Thanks to that, we were able to load the main units safely and in time for the pontoon to move out to Gijón commercial port where remaining smaller units were loaded and seafastening operations were completed. After a couple of days, with everything in place, the pontoon embarked on its journey across the Biscay Bay to Dunkirk, France. The transport team monitored ballast operations, lashing, securing, and sea fastening, ensuring the stability and safety of the load while in transit. 

 

Dunkirk: The Final Stretch 

The equipment arrived at the private berth in Dunkirk, marking the beginning of the final, yet equally complex, phase of the project. Here, offloading operation was executed with the same precision that was adopted throughout the project. The top cones were lifted from the pontoon by mobile cranes, while the main units, due to their sheer size and weight, were rolled off with SPMTs, using a ramp bridge. Also here, very detailed engineering studies and ballasting calculations were done for installation of the ramp bridge to overcome the height difference between pontoon and quay, whilst ensuring safe unloading operations. 

Next came the challenge of delivering the equipment to its final laydown areas within the receiver’s yard. Several obstacles needed to be navigated, starting with a railway crossing where rail traffic had to be completely suspended for 24 hours to allow building (and removing) a sand bed and letting the convoy of four SPMTs pass. Time was of the essence, and every minute counted as the team worked under tight deadlines to avoid delays. 

The final “last mile” of the delivery posed one more unique challenge: passing under a pipe rack within the steel plant’s yard. The only way to achieve this was by using a special low-bed SPMT, designed specifically for low and tight clearances. With this equipment in place, the team successfully completed the delivery, ensuring all the equipment arrived at its destination intact and on time. 

From the initial planning stages to the final delivery in France, this project was a perfect example of how Industry & Energy team rises to the challenge of complex logistics. Their ability to mobilize resources, manage tight deadlines, and create tailored transport solutions ensured the successful delivery of the crucial steel plant equipment. 

Scope

  • Industry: Metallurgy

  • Cargo: Steel mill equipment - two converters & two top cones 

  • Weight: 900T (3000FRT) in total 

  • Route: From Gijón, Spain to Dunkirk, France 

Challenges

  • Limited berth accessibility due to tides and low water levels, with only a few days each month suitable for operations 

  • Tailor-made frames and custom designed seafastening were required to ensure the secure transportation of the main units 

  • Time pressure and overall technical complexity of the operations 

Solution

  • Multi-modal transportation from FCA supplier’s site in Gijón to DAP receiver’s site in Dunkirk 

  • Engineering and manufacturing transport frames, lashing lugs, sea fastening and grillage  

  • Mobilizing a suitable pontoon from the Netherlands 

  • Last-mile delivery in Dunkirk, including a railway and pipe rack crossing with a specialized low-bed SPMT