Under the contract concluded as part of inter-government agreement, the Russian manufacturer shall deliver 363 railway transport units for the Cuban party. Meanwhile, the first batch of 59 bulk sugar hoppers and 118 railway trolleys with a wheel gauge of 1,435 mm (two units per a package) shall be in the Cuban Port of Mariel not later than July 14.
To comply with the contract terms, Module team had performed major preparations in order to develop the reloading and transport technique as well as obtain all required permits and documents for transportation of wagons and loading of them on the vessel.
To begin with, it was required to obtain approval of the RF road services for the unobstructed travel of new wagons from the town of Ruzaevka (Mordovia) to St. Petersburg along the public railways.
Thanks to vast experience of arranging transport of various types of cargo, the Module specialists managed to tackle this task in no time. Upon arrival of units at the port, solid efforts were taken to prepare them for the load-out. The wagons were discharged from the transport railway trolleys and installed on special pads. All the systems, appearance of each wagon and all the packages of railway trolleys were checked. Additional fastening was also arranged. The total scope of work was completed on schedule. On June 24 they started to load the cargo on a specially chartered bulk carrier DAIWAN ELEGANCE (Japanese owner).
It’s a new vessel launched in 2015 which was able to accommodate the whole batch at a time because of its dimensions. The carrier is equipped with state-of-the-art deck cranes. This will enable unloading in the Port of Mariel without additional lifting gear which means significant funds will be saved for the client.
For optimal stowage and securing of cargo on the vessel, the Module’s Technology Department worked out a cargo plan agreed with the ship owner and the inspecting company (ZAO Marine Cargo Bureau). The wagons and cargo trolleys were secured on board the vessel by means of rope and chain lashings with consideration of their design features. They were fastened to D-rings welded to the ship’s deck and the cargo.
Twenty-seven wagons loaded on top deck hatch covers in accordance with the cargo plan had been wrapped in modern heat shrink film. This method excludes any environmental exposure – sun rays, salty sea water, wind, rain – and ensures safety of the load.
It took just 48 hours to complete loading and lashing of cargo on the vessel. On June 26, 2016, the first batch of wagons for Cuba successfully departed from the Big Port of Saint Petersburg and headed for the Mariel Port which it is going to reach on time.