Mumbai Port Authority (MbPA) has completed the handling of three exceptionally large and heavy cargo packages weighing a combined 1,452 metric tonnes (MT), using a specialised Barge Roll-Off operation.
The cargo formed part of a coastal shipment transported by barge from Dahej in Gujarat to Mumbai Port on Thursday. The consignment is scheduled for onward export to the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) in the UAE.
The three over-dimensional cargo (ODC) packages comprised a 718 MT PG Cooler, a 502 MT Riser and Downcomer, and a 232 MT Steam Drum. Given their extraordinary size and weight, Mumbai Port said conventional unloading techniques involving ship-mounted equipment or shore-based cranes were not suitable for the operation.
Instead, the port deployed a specialised Barge Roll-Off method to transfer the equipment safely from the vessel to the wharf.
For the operation, the barge was positioned perpendicular to the berth, with its deck brought level with the wharf surface. Hydraulic puller trailers were subsequently driven onto the barge and carefully placed underneath the individual cargo packages.
The trailers then used their hydraulic systems to take the weight of the massive equipment and gradually move each package from the barge onto the wharf.
A major factor supporting the operation was the availability of a berth located within Mumbai Port’s lock gate. According to the port authority, the relatively calm water conditions inside the lock gate offered the stability needed to maintain precise alignment between the barge and quay while transferring cargo of such significant dimensions and weight.
The operation highlights Mumbai Port’s expanding capability to handle specialised heavy-lift and project cargo. It also demonstrates the role of the port’s infrastructure in facilitating the movement of large industrial equipment manufactured in India to international markets.
The successful handling of the consignment brings together coastal shipping, specialised cargo-handling infrastructure and overseas connectivity, strengthening Mumbai Port’s role in supporting complex industrial logistics.
Source: Economic Times
