Last April, amid the ensuing pandemic and the related adversities the Project team in Orchid Shipping seized the opportunity of executing a very critical shipment involving 3×20’FRs ex Jawaharlal Nehru Port, India to Onne Port, Nigeria successfully and ensuring a satisfied customer at the end of it. The cargo (Boiler parts) was 5.4mt by height has been the biggest challenge imposing on the team. Besides, acute shortage of ground staff including drivers/lashers coupled with severe restrictions on the movement of vehicles from the warehouse to Jawaharlal Nehru Port, owing to the ongoing Lockdown, imposed several bottlenecks in the handling of the cargo. Special permission from the several concerned authorities had to be sought for the safe passage of the containers with adequate escorts.
The routing ex Jawaharlal Nehru Port involved two transhipments (Colombo / Lome). In Colombo the challenge was to arrange the inter terminal movement of the containers given the max permissible height is only 4.5mts. Special low bed trailers were arranged to move the containers successfully, negotiating a low hanging bridge and feed the mainline vessel to Lome. Then came the next challenge – a monthly saling ex Lome to Onne, coupled with the restrictions at the Onne port in handling over height cargo exceeding 4.5mts, once more. But with arduous and regular follow ups with the Onne terminal authorities, finally special slings where arranged to handle this special cargo there on. The containers are now resting in Lome awaiting the last leg vessel.
The specifications of the cargo shipped on the 3×20’FRs are:
- Dims : 5.5 x 5.4 x 5.4 mtr
- Wt : 7 Tons
- Units – 3 mtr
- POL – Jawaharlal Nehru Port
- POD – Onne
- Equipment – 3 x 20 FR
