DSV Delivers Giant Columns to ORLEN

DSV has completed the transport of two massive petrochemical columns for ORLEN, delivering key components for a major investment project in Poland.

The shipment included a 554-tonne concentration tower and a 286-tonne C4 column, transported from China to the project site in Płock through a fully integrated logistics operation. The scope covered ocean freight to Gdańsk, transshipment onto barges, inland waterway transport along the Vistula River, and final delivery by road.

The timing of the inland waterway phase proved critical. “We decided to begin the river transport before the end of the spring thaw period,” said Grzegorz Samoć, Director of DSV Projects and Industry Solutions in Poland. “By the end of March, water levels had dropped significantly—any delay could have postponed the project for months.”

After a five-day barge journey, the columns were transferred using hydraulic lifting and skidding techniques onto self-propelled modular transporters (SPMTs). The operation required quay reinforcement, including underwater preparation by divers to ensure safe load distribution.

For the final 6-kilometre road transport, DSV coordinated permits and temporary infrastructure modifications, including removing road signs and reinforcing surfaces. A 40-axle SPMT configuration was used to deliver the cargo safely to site.

The larger column arrived on March 22, followed by the second unit on March 27, both within a tight schedule.