AAL Shipping completes berth disassembly in Australia 

AAL Shipping (AAL) has successfully collaborated on the disassembly of Berth 2 at Hay Point Coal Terminal in Queensland, and its subsequent shipment to Henderson, West Australia, for disposal. Comprising seven packages that weighed a total of 1.412MT/8,929CBM, the cargo was moved onboard the 19,000 deadweight S-Class 700-tonne max heavy lift vessel, the AAL Fremantle, for global logistics provider, Geodis Australia.  

Head of transport engineering at AAL, Nicola Pacifico, says: “All aspects of the loading operation were extensively evaluated and planned – starting with the mooring of the AAL Fremantle to the old Berth itself where she was heavily exposed to wind, waves, current, tide and vessel motion.” 

“These conditions needed to be factored into the lifting methodology along with load spreading and cargo sea fastening. Having multiple contractors and authorities working simultaneously required the development of complex risk assessments and mitigation, emergency procedures, and a coordination matrix to ensure that every stage was delivered to the highest safety standards,” Pacifico adds.  

This was a complex lifting operation for AAL, but the company’s engineering and operational oversight provided invaluable in reducing risk, downtime, and operational costs. In addition, AAL provided reassurance throughout the process to customers and stakeholders.  

AAL undertook the project with Geodis, focusing on executing it safely and efficiently. “Transporting heavy lift berth and ship loader components from Hay Point to Henderson required regular pre-planning meetings – not to mention constant onsite dialogue with AAL representatives who travelled from Singapore to oversee works. It was the first time that a heavy lift vessel had performed such an operation there and AAL’s solution was executed flawlessly,” comments Ben Williams, project manager of project logistics at Geodis Australia.  

Source: Cyann Fielding, AntwerpXL