Ghanaian heavy haulage specialist MONPE Heavy Haulage has successfully transported six power engines from Ghana port to Niger over a total distance of about 1,285 km. “Special transports are our daily business, but this mission was really exceptional within the exceptional. It’s a prestigious project and sets a benchmark”, declared Peter Everett from MONPE Heavy Haulage in hindsight. The specificities of this non-typical project required a detailed plan and powerful tools. Two 10-axle combinations type twin tyre ModulMAX with gooseneck were chosen to transport two engines at a time. As they were six of them in total, the complete job was handled three times.
Peter Everett added: “Their load simulation software allows to determine the best positioning of the cargo for ideal load distribution. And the technical set-up of the twin tyre modular axle lines is as made for this kind of task.” The complete turnkey organization of the project was handled by DB Schenker, who trusted in MONPE for the on-road transport from the port to the job site. The transports started at the major Ghanaian seaports, Tema and Takoradi, where the engines arrived by ship coming from CAT Germany. Every item had a weight of 219 tons and was protected by a white tarpaulin cover.
Through four countries
Initially, the convoys were meant to take the fastest and most direct route through Burkina Faso into Niger. However, as the security conditions along this track did not guarantee these transports to take place safely, MONPE had to make new plans to get the job done for their customers. Several months of meticulous planning and route surveys were required to find an alternative itinerary to transport the 219t-giants to their final destination at a power plant station near Niger’s capital city of Niamey.
Border crossings, bridge structures and small village roads needed to be analyzed and properly prepared for and countless electric lines and other obstacles needed to be (re)-moved in order to guarantee a safe passage of the striking heavy-haul convoys. At the end of it, around 1,285 kilometers were in front of the 10 members crew, passing four different countries, from Ghana through Togo and Benin, and finally to Niger. Finally, the specialists managed to complete each journey in an average of only 23 days.
