A special loading operation has taken place in Bremerhaven, involving Rickmers-Linie’s MV RICKMERS HAMBURG, a 485-tonne Siemens gas turbine, a 465-tonne Siemens generator, and German project freight forwarder Bertling.

The operation involved the transport of the largest gas turbine ever manufactured by Siemens, and also marked the first call of this class of Rickmers-Linie ship—a 30,000 dwt 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 and has a weight of 485 tons, was safely loaded from a barge onto RICKMERS HAMBURG and was followed by a 465-tonne 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.

“Due to the weight of the cargo and the historic background of the location for us, this was not just like any other port call,” said Dirk Gindl, general manager for sales in Germany at Rickmers. “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.