Completion of San Roque Dam Project, Philippines

Brief

To move 83 machines to end users in Ghana, Senegal, Mali, French Guinea, Australia and Uzbekistan, from the completed San Roque Dam Project in the northern Philippines.

Origin

San Roque, Pangasinan Province, Philippines

Destination

• Takoradi, Ghana
• Dakar, Senegal
• Conakry, French Guinea
• Brisbane, Australia
• Amantaytau, Uzbekistan

Job Specifics

We split the overall project into three separate shipments, by destination.

CENTRAL ASIA (via Iran)

The largest parcel was destined for a new gold mine being commissioned in Uzbekistan, consisting of some 58 machines; dump trucks, bull dozers, excavators, cranes, graders, lube and service vehicles, a cement batching plant and a massive Euclid water cart.  Having carefully selected the best route to follow, a Freightplus representative travelled via Tehran to scrutinise the intended route and coordinate the overland sectors into land-locked Uzbekistan. With the route finalised and a ship chartered, the cargo was prepared for shipment, SGS inspections coordinated and attended, equipment prepared and measured and a detailed photo inventory taken.

At origin, with the help of very capable agency partners in Manila, we negotiated our way through a number of mayoralties to the grain port of Poro Point, western Philippines, a process which involved a different set of rules, restrictions, conditions and bribes through each town our convoy travelled.   Overhead power lines were removed and replaced, overhanging trees trimmed back and bridges tested to take the weight of our shipment.  Arrangements were made to allow our ships into the port of Poro Point.  Although some of the cargo could be loaded on the port itself, much of it was too heavy for the piers to handle so we chartered an LCT (landing craft) to ferry everything over 20 tonnes to the mother vessel.  Two of the excavators we were shipping were used to prepare a makeshift ramp for loading onto the LCT.

Once all of our Uzbekistan cargo was safely secured below deck and Customs clearances were processed, the ship sailed towards the Persian Gulf,  making a last-minute diversion to Balikpapan  to collect 4 CAT777C dump trucks en route, a late addition to our client’s order.  Freightplus personnel, together with our handling agent in Iran, met the vessel at Bandar-e-Abbas port to supervise its discharge and Customs formalities.

Our convoy of almost 70 low-loaders and flat-deck trucks, escorted by a number of armed guards, travelled north through Iran, covering various roads and terrains, even commissioning a military floating bridge at one point to get the heavier pieces across the Atrek River.  Continuing from Iran through Turkmenistan, the convoy crossed into Uzbekistan several days ahead of schedule.

WEST AFRICA

A second ship was chartered to Poro Point port to collect our remaining cargoes, destined for gold mines in West Africa.  An assortment of Caterpillar and Komatsu dozers, Grove all-terrain cranes, CAT graders, Volvo articulated dump trucks, Bluebird buses and various Mack trucks and support vehicles was delivered to the African ports of Conakry, Takoradi and Dakar.

AUSTRALIA

8 low-hour Volvo A35C articulated dump trucks from the San Roque site were sold to a buyer in Australia.  Two Freightplus personnel from Australia travelled to San Roque to clean and inspect the trucks to satisfy Australian quarantine entry standards, alongside our client’s project coordinator.  Freightplus coordinated road transportation from San Roque to Manila, carried out Customs export documentation and formalities and shipped the trucks by regular liner services to Melbourne and Brisbane, Australia, including shipping, import Customs clearance, quarantine clearance, final AQIS washing and release and delivery to our customer’s door.

Outcome

All cargoes delivered in full, on time and within budget and several further projects have been since undertaken for this customer.