Leuna/MZ -- Not long before it hit Leuna, storm Emma ran out of steam. After three deep breaths Emma was strong enough for two or three strong gusts before that storm ceased. The wind cone installed near the auxiliary bridge, which was erected on the plant premises to bridge the railroad tracks (MZ reported), was agitated only lightly. Hüseyin Kizilagac is taking a deep breath for the time being. “For safety reasons we cannot cross the bridge at wind speeds of more than four Beaufort,” he says, relieved. Even so, peak wind speeds of up to 72 miles per hour have been measured – eleven Beauforts – instead of the admissible 12.5 to 17.5 miles per hour.

For the project manager of BDP Project Logistics Nürnberg, who had contracted for the transport of the equipment for Quinn Chemicals’ new plant, the last leg before the final destination put everybody’s nerves to a tough final test. Three transports took place Saturday and Sunday, crossing the 170 meter-long bridge, underneath which trains were running according to their normal schedule. The last of these transports posed a particular challenge: A giant tank, weighing 269 metric tons, 5.65 meters high and measuring 8.30 meters in diameter (including mounted accessories).

This piece of equipment was manufactured in Deggendorf, Bavaria, and was first shipped via the Rhine-Main canal as well as the Danube River and then transported by land to Leuna. The other two, somewhat smaller, tanks traveled thousands of miles. They came from Japan, were shipped from Kobe to Hamburg on the ocean and then via the Elbe and Saale Rivers to Pfützthal, where they were transferred onto heavy-load trucks. “By the end of April we’re expecting eight columns, an entire ship load, from Shanghai,” is the outlook provided by Kizilagac. They will be brought to Leuna using eight transporters in two convoys.

The construction of this 170 meter-long bridge over the railroad tracks in Leuna is a real first for the experienced logistics professional. “Unparalleled in Germany!” he smiles, proud. The initial plan, which was to heave the multi-ton parts over the railroad tracks using a crane, had to be abandoned – the railroad operator, Deutsche Bahn, would authorize closings of the railroad line only for very short periods of time. The subsequent brilliant solution was realized in close cooperation with Infra Leuna (owner of the premises), initially under aggravated (weather) conditions with storm and rain. The 21 axle, 33 meter-long console remote-controlled trailer crawled over the bridge with its payload three times on specially designed aluminum sheets. Alone at first, a tractor helped on the way up the slope. Not only Hüseyin Kizilagac, but the entire team, was under tension. But the well-tuned team delivered perfect work. Given this, the almost two-kilometer long final spurt to the finish line is hardly worth mentioning, although piping bridges had to be lifted and curbs had to be relocated by a few meters.

By: Elke Jäger