AAL Shipping (AAL) announced that it transported critical Toshiba-built power station components in a single shipment from China and Japan to Queensland, Australia.

The units were carried for global logistics provider DB Schenker and are to be used in the repair of the Callide Power Station as part of a US$200 million project to fix damaged turbines and return one of Queensland's newest and most vital coal-fired power plants to full capacity after failures had resulted in mass power outages from the NSW border to the north of Cairns.

AAL said it was selected for the project due to its long-standing relationship with DB Schenker, its history on Toshiba cargoes, and the reliability of AAL's monthly 'Asia-East Coast Australia Liner Service' on which this latest cargo was shipped. 

The project cargo operator said the cargo — initially consisting of a 270-tonne transformer and 600CBM of accessories — was loaded onto AAL's 31,000 deadweight mega-size A-Class heavy lift MPV 'AAL Singapore' in the Port of Shanghai and was due to be discharged at the Port of Gladstone in Queensland, with the transformer offloaded to barge and then transported to shore.

"Whilst loading the transformer in China and before her sailing to Gladstone, our client requested if the AAL Singapore could deviate to Yokohama in Japan and load other critical accessories for the same project, which we were happy to do. AAL was then further engaged to harness our vessel’s heavy lift cranes and transfer a large 276-tonne generator stator from wharf laydown to a waiting barge, which we again executed seamlessly," said Chris Yabsley, chartering manager, AAL Australia.

"This project illustrates how, with cooperation, flexibility, and trust between carrier and customer, we can deliver significant value beyond the initial project scope. The challenges we faced were the complex heavy lift operations themselves, shore-ship transfers, and making all critical delivery dates meet barge, tide, and local authority deadlines."

Yabsley noted that discharge could also only take place during daylight hours as both the transformer and generator stator had to be perfectly positioned by our cranes onto Self Propelled Modular Transporters (SPMT) waiting on the barge.

"All these components were then transported via road to the Callide Power Station in central Queensland for the final 100 kilometres of their journey, having travelled a total distance of nearly 9,000 kilometres," the AAL executive said.

"The project was completed on time and without issue to ensure vital works at the power station can go ahead without delay."