“We recently completed the testing cross-border transport of two Magra thickeners from client Magra Process Engineering’s manufacturing plant in Vereeniging to Kwekwe in Zimbabwe,” reports Johan Truter, CEO of Imperial Managed Solutions.
Magra thickeners are used in the mining industry. Each unit weighs just under 30 tonnes and is 11m long and 6m in diameter. This was the largest project of its kind ever undertaken by Imperial Logistics.
“What made it unique and especially challenging was the tonnage of the load combined with the abnormal metric dimensions of these single units,” Johan expands.
“It is an incredible feat to complete such an intricate project, but we have never been afraid of a challenge and credit is due to a large team of people who worked tirelessly to pull this off successfully.”
1 000km journey
He reveals that plans to move “these giants” started in August 2017. “Meticulous analysis and route planning were required to avoid cargo damage along the way. Police escorts and abnormal permits had to be arranged. Eskom and Telkom were alerted to lift power and telephone lines 35 days before D-day.”
On the day of departure, the Magra thickeners were loaded onto trailers with two cranes; a process that Johan says took about four hours per Magra to complete.
“Once on the road, the vehicles travelled a maximum of eight hours per day at a speed of no more than 50km/h, always escorted by a police vehicle. The load travelled through Gauteng, Mpumalanga and Limpopo before crossing into Zimbabwe. It was a 12-day journey of more than 1 000km.”
Looking ahead
The company’s vast experience and expertise in this specialised field as well as a close working relationship with its client, ensured the project’s successful completion. Since July 2015, Imperial Logistics has transported more than 100 out-of-gauge loads for Magra, ranging from 20-tonnes to more than 40-tonnes of equipment.
Looking ahead, Johan says this year they will be moving another four Magra thickeners as well as abnormal construction units for an exothermic smelting plant in Zimbabwe.
“Our partnership with Magra and the specialised capabilities that we are honing means we are well placed to serve other clients on similar projects in future,” he concludes.
Imperial Logistics
www.imperiallogistics.co.za
