LHG Handles Heaviest Project Cargo to Date at Lübeck Nordlandkai

It was the heaviest project cargo to date that was handled at the Lübeck Nordlandkai: On Monday, January 20, the Lübeck Port Company, together with heavy cargo specialists Thömen Spedition from Hamburg and Baumann Move from Bornheim, ensured that two transformers with a total weight of 572 tons and dimensions of around twelve meters in length and three and a half meters in width were unloaded and transported to their location in Stockelsdorf, Schleswig-Holstein.

(Lübeck) The two transformers arrived at the LHG terminal Nordlandkai on Sunday, January 19, aboard the coastal motor vessel “River Trader” from Rotterdam. They were manufactured by Hitachi Energy in Bad Honnef and transported via the Rhine to Rotterdam. The agency-side management of the “River Trader” was handled by the Lübeck shipbroker Meerpahl and Meyer.

Thömen, Baumann, and LHG had been preparing for weeks for the challenging cargo. To handle the heavyweights, Thömen deployed a 750-ton lattice boom mobile crane from Liebherr, the LG 1750, an impressive machine with a lot of power. It is so large that it can be seen for kilometers in good visibility. The logistical dimensions were also impressive. Since the crane had to be equipped with counterweights, the setup alone was estimated to take four days, and the dismantling will take just as long. The necessary weights and accessories were distributed across 26 trucks that had already approached the terminal the previous week.

Two Transformers, Two Lifts

The mobile crane was activated twice to safely bring the two transformers ashore. “It was a fantastic operation with our large crane. All parties involved worked excellently together, everything clicked into place,” says Marc Bernschneider, project manager at Thömen Hamburg. Part one of the mission is thus completed, and now the second part follows: the heavy cargo transport by road, which is also quite a challenge. On Monday, January 20, and Wednesday, January 22, a total of 87 meters long heavy transport is scheduled to take place starting at 10 PM. It will proceed via Posener Straße and Schwartauer Allee to Stockelsdorf. There, the cargo will be needed at the Tennet substation for the East Coast line. This is a core project for the energy transition and grid stability. It transports green electricity from East Holstein to the south and connects Germany to the European power grid via the “Baltic Cable.”

Expanding Activities for Demanding Project Cargo

Just a few days before the handling of the two heavy cargo transformers, LHG sent a Vectron locomotive from Siemens on its way to Finland from the Skandinavienkai. “With these recent activities, we are consistently expanding our role as a universal port, especially for demanding project cargo,” explains Timo Beyer, head of operations at LHG.

Photo: © LHG