At Roll Group, we’re always proud to demonstrate the power of smart logistics and seamless teamwork. In a recent project together with McDermott, we were entrusted with transporting five pre-assembled unit (PAU) modules – each weighing up to 1000 metric tons – from CB&I’s facility in Sattahip, Thailand, and three heater modules from Laem Chabang to Viva Energy’s Ultra-Low Sulfur Gasoline (ULSG) project at the Geelong Refinery in Australia.
First, we loaded our specialized and brand-new barge, the RollBarge 1, inside our Rolldock ST-class vessel. This barge has been designed to be a perfect fit for our dock vessels.While the barge is placed inside our vessel, the deck of the barge is perfectly aligned with the hatch cover deck of the vessel, allowing modules to be rolled over between barge and vessel in a smooth and safe manner.
In Thailand our own team of experienced operators performed the weighing of the modules and used SPMT’s to transport the modules from CB&I’s fabrication facility to port, where the modules were loaded by Ro-Ro. Part of the modules were rolled (via the barge) onto the hatch cover deck, while the remaining modules were loaded direct onto the barge.
After installing the dedicated sea fastening, engineered by our in-house engineering department, the vessel sailed to Laem Chabang where the heater modules were loaded by Lo-Lo using the crane of our vessel.
Minimizing environmental impact in Australia
Upon arrival in Australia the vessel was moored at a nearby quay with sufficient water depth where the barge was floated out and towed to the shallow water Module Offloading Facility (MOF). This approach eliminated the need for extensive dredging and the construction of a large jetty – an environmentally conscious solution.
The towing operation was performed together with our subcontractor Bhagwan Marine who also provided a barge crew to moor and ballast our barge under supervision of our own cargo superintend and barge master. At the MOF the barge was grounded to the seabed and the modules were discharged and transported to a temporary staging area using SPMT’s.
After setting down the modules the empty SPMT’s were loaded on the barge and the barge was towed back inside the vessel. The SPMT’s were used to roll over the remaining modules from the vessel onto the barge for a second barge trip.
Once this barge trip had been completed the barge was loaded inside the vessel and the vessel sailed back to Thailand to pick up the modules for the second shipment.
Complex land transport with local partners
For the land transport in Australia between the MOF and the staging area, we organized together with our subcontractor GO Traffic a 7-day road closure of a public road.The road itself had to be strengthened at several locations using a dedicated bridging system designed by our in-house heavy transport experts to allow the enormous weight of the modules.
The installation of the bridging system was done together with our partner Doolans Heavy Haulage who also provided the SPMT’s and operators. From the temporary storage area, the modules were transported within the Viva Refinery and installed onto their foundation.
Teamwork and innovation at the core
From marine coordination to challenging land logistics, this project is a perfect example of how Roll Group brings together engineering excellence, innovation, and collaboration to overcome the most complex transport challenges.
