dship Carriers has transported a tidal turbine, main foundation, ballast blocks and further components from Nigg, Scotland to Nagasaki, Japan. The total weight amounted to 1,714 metric tons (MT) and encompassed several heavy lift and oversized units with weights up to 205 MT and measurements up to 19.82 x 16 x 11.19 meters.

A 175 MT base foundation is loaded into hold number two of the MV Josef using the on-board cranes.
A 175 MT base foundation is loaded into hold number two of the MV Josef using the on-board cranes.

dship Carriers was engaged by Global Renewable Shipbrokers for the client Simec Atlantis Energy. All these components will be used to win predictable sustainable energy from the tidal turbine through the steady flow of water in the open sea. 

dship’s team of port captains thoroughly planned the lifting procedure and stowage positions of all pieces and addressed all key challenges at an early stage. On paper, the height of the foundation was exceeding the height of the ships holds. The combined knowledge of dship’s team and use of sophisticated CAD-Software made it possible: The tidal turbine, the main foundation and the ballast blocks, along with a range of equipment, were loaded under deck of the vessel MV Josef at Nigg, Scotland. MV Josef is a multi-purpose heavy lift dry cargo vessel with a combined crane capacity of up to 360 MT.

“For the safe handling and transportation of the cargo, we developed detailed lifting and sea- fastening plans as well as calculations. The height of the main foundation was 11.19 m, whereas the nominal clear height in the hold is 11.18 m only. Due to the individual shape of the hatch cover in the relevant stowage position, it was possible to accommodate the main foundation safely,” said Captain Hauke Bindemann, Supercargo / Port Captain, dship Carriers, Germany.

Discharge operations of the base foundation in Nagasaki, Japan
Discharge operations of the base foundation in Nagasaki, Japan

Once the cargo units were stowed safely and secured with stopper plates and lashing chains, MV Josef set sail towards Nagasaki, Japan. After 11,000 nautical miles, the vessel arrived at its destination and all cargo units were discharged according to plan directly onto a barge for the further transport to the project site.

"Developing this project for our client Simec Atlantis Energy was the definition of "seamless" - we were engaged in an early stage and could provide detailed engineering input from the very first moment. Developing the technical proposal as well as negotiating the commercial terms all happened on a level playing field and we developed a true sense of partnership and trust between the client, the broker and us,” said Jonas Schwebe, Chartering Manager, dship Carriers, Germany.

“This project required excellent preplanning. dship Carriers has the expertise and the equipment for such unique challenges, and we are proud of the successful execution for our client,” stated Lars Feller, Global Vice President, dship Carriers.