In today’s uncertain and turbulent geopolitical and economic environment, Robert Blades, Global Commercial Sales Manager, Peters & May, highlights the increased level of technical research, preparation, loading expertise and industry insight required when managing the movement of oversized cargo on multi-purpose vessels

In the world of project cargo transport, rare and complex challenges are unavoidable.

From the movement of two large Minehunters from Belgium to Pakistan to relocating a substantial quay crane from South Korea to Turkey to transporting a full vessel of turbines from Portugal to Australia to rerouting the shipment of a high-speed catamaran to avoid Houthi rebel attacks in the Red Sea – each specialist project we conduct at Peters & May has its own conundrums to be solved.
Transportation of heavy, awkward cargo, over-sized machinery and colossal structures has always required specialist knowledge, experience and foresight to deal with various issues, including securing vessel space, scheduling and route planning, as well as considering options around the handling process, technical equipment, lifting methods, specialist manpower, port infrastructure and insurance.
However, in today’s volatile geopolitical and economic climate, with unpredictable changes in the global landscape due to issues such as covid, canal closures, new sanctions and regional conflict, the potential for obstacles when planning these already-complex shipping operations is exacerbated.

As global supply routes are reshaped and cargo flows disrupted, new rules and risks now apply when transporting challenging assets such as pontoons, windfarm turbines and towers, and commercial vessels like tugboats or patrol boats.

Most of these projects require multi-purpose and heavy-lift specialised vessels with their own cranes, reinforced decks and the ability to submerge – effectively acting as floating supply bases for complex cargo operations. These ships are designed to load, carry and discharge a wide variety of project and general cargo types weighing hundreds or thousands of tonnes.

Operating within the spot charter market, these multi-purpose vessels (MPVs) are particularly affected by the shifting landscape, with new supply/demand dynamics meaning that planning for MPVs is more complex.

In today’s unstable times, managing the movement of heavy out-of-gauge cargo on specialised vessels requires years of industry experience, an ability to adapt to the unexpected and an intricate understanding of the complexities of commercial cargo transportation, with predictable routes and shipping schedules increasingly rare.

The Challenges of Project Cargo Transportation
Project cargo transport, especially for the largest and heaviest assets, requires extensive preparatory work from an experienced technical department to ensure safe and secure transportation, including attention to method statements, loading securances, sea-fastening calculations and engineering of equipment or cradling.

Only a partner with specialist loadmasters and technical expertise in lifting and cradling equipment, alongside the experience to identify potential problems and avoid hidden costs, can mitigate risk and manage expectations for cargo owners.

Peters & May, for instance, has managed a range of interesting and complicated high-value projects, requiring contributions from our dedicated departments for budgeting, technical support, operational control, documentation management, local port handling and loadmaster teams on site.

Challenging shipments in recent years include the safe transportation of two 620-tonne Minehunters from Belgium to Pakistan, which involved moving over 1,200 tonnes on heavy lift ship the MV UHL Fame and required 1.35 kilometres of lashing cable, 16 giant slings and reinforced deck platforms.

When shipping two new 22m 320-tonne tugboats from Vietnam to the Port of Saint-Malo, France, the Peters & May logistics team worked with MV Fairmaster, fitted with two 1,500-tonne cranes, with a combined lift capacity of 3,000 tonnes. Bespoke lifting lugs integrated directly into the structure of the vessels allowed them to be hoisted with precision, using a crane system that safely distributed the weight and reduced any potential risk to the tugs during the handling process.

Meanwhile, for some projects, specialised equipment must be in place to prevent additional insurance premiums, as was the case when we moved a cradle from the UK to Namibia for the transportation of a 54m Fast Support Vessel YC Bora from Namibia to UAE.

Navigating New Rules and Risks
With an increased demand for MPVs compared to 2019/2020, there is already tight availability in some regions – a situation which has been exacerbated by the avoidance of the Suez Canal and vessels having to transit around the Cape of Good Hope (COGH), rather than utilise the more efficient Asia to Mediterranean or Northern Europe route through the Red Sea.

The Ukraine/Russia conflict and remaining uncertainty about escalations in the Middle East and the potential of Houthi attacks on ships will continue to adversely affect available tonnage and market stability. Last month (July), Houthis attacked two Liberian-flagged, Greek-operated cargo ships in the Red Sea, sinking one of the vessels, the Eternity C.

As a 25-day transit now takes 45 to 50 days due to transiting via the COGH, with substantial additional fuel and charter costs, there is less available spot tonnage in the market than previous years.

At Peters & May, we have the capability to react when rapid rerouting is needed due to geopolitical risks – as was the case with the successful loading and shipment of Red Jet 4, the high-speed catamaran, from Southampton, UK, to South Korea, on the AAL MV Kobe.

When the vessel’s planned passage through the Red Sea was ruled out by the shipowner following deteriorating conditions, including renewed Houthi rebel attacks on commercial ships, the team quickly responded. The voyage plan was adapted, ensuring the necessary permits, port arrangements, and vessel support were in place to accommodate the new route back through the Suez Canal and around the COGH.

Value-Added Benefits for Cargo Owners
With more than 50 years in the shipping business, Peters & May can apply lessons from previous projects with huge knock-on benefits, giving clients optionality and avoiding hidden costs caused by delays, insurance hikes and mis-cradled cargo.

The new challenges around route planning and MPV availability make it particularly difficult for cargo owners today to manage their schedules, budgets and risks with confidence. In some cases, organisations must accept increased transit times because of the instability and traditional routes becoming more complicated.

The good news is that with the support of a specialist partner, these owners have the advantage of working with experts who have the experience to manage expectations through a consultative approach.
By preparing in advance and starting regular discussions with a shipping company much earlier, asset owners can rest assured the vital heavy-lift work behind the scenes by experienced specialists is set in motion to avoid expensive changes at a later stage.
Source: By Robert Blades, Global Commercial Sales Manager, Peters & May