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HEAVY LIFT & PROJECT CARGO
Delivering a 130-tonne stripper column through a steel plant shutdown window
A global manufacturer of heat exchangers and high-pressure equipment | Jebel Ali to Musaffah, UAE
CASE STUDY
PROJECT OVERVIEW
Compass Logistics International coordinated the transportation of a single 130-tonne stripper column from a factory in Jebel Ali to a steel plant in Musaffah, Abu Dhabi, delivered within a strict plant shutdown window using a custom multimodal solution including road, port, and marine transport.
THE CHALLENGE
A component too large to move by road alone
One fixed shutdown window. Multiple transport modes. No room for delay.
The client needed a critical stripper column delivered to its Musaffah plant as part of a scheduled shutdown. At 35.85 meters long, 6.35 meters high, and weighing 130 metric tons, the column could not travel by direct road transport. It needed an alternative route: factory to port, port to private jetty by barge, and jetty to plant by specialized trailer.
The private jetty had never been assessed for cargo of this scale. Marine access ran through a controlled channel, both handling points were unsuitable for conventional heavy-lift crane operations, and the final four kilometers required fence removal and civil works – all within a shutdown window that could not move.
THE SOLUTION
Rebuilding the lifting plan around the site
The original plan called for two 500-ton cranes. Site constraints made that impractical, so the operation was redesigned around RO-RO handling instead - shifting the column internally at the port and jetty rather than lifting it.
Factory to port
Two files of 22-axle conventional hydraulic trailers moved the column to Jebel Ali Port for RO-RO load-out.
Port to jetty
The column traveled by barge and tug after a dedicated jetty survey and marine engineering assessment, through a channel governed by vessel traffic controls.
Jetty to plant
Two files of 22-axle SPMT configuration carried the column the final four kilometers through the restricted route.
Berthing and mooring plans, route clearance, fence removal, and civil works were coordinated in advance so the final-mile delivery could proceed without delay.
ON THE GROUND
A 44-person, multi-discipline team
RESULTS
Delivered on schedule, zero incidents
From factory collection to site delivery, completed inside the client's fixed shutdown window.
Safety incidents or near misses across the full operation.
Factory collection, road transport, RO-RO load-out, marine transit, private-jetty load-in, and final SPMT transport were executed as one coordinated operation.
OUTCOMES
What the project proved
- 01
One provider, one project structure, start to finish
Road transport, port handling, marine transit, and final delivery managed under a single project management team.
- 02
A crane-dependent plan re-engineered around site constraints
RO-RO handling replaced heavy-lift cranes where lifting capacity and site access made cranes impractical.
- 03
Jetty suitability confirmed through dedicated survey work
Marine engineering assessment and a formal berthing and mooring plan cleared the way for barge access.
- 04
A restricted final mile cleared in advance
Route survey, fence removal, and civil works were completed ahead of transit so the SPMT delivery could move without interruption.
Result: The stripper column arrived at the steel plant on schedule, within the shutdown window, with formal appreciation received from the client on completion.