The country’s largest urea plant is advancing in its construction at Dampier, and to this end, AAL Australia carried out a shipping operation, precision-engineered to move designed to move industrial components of large tonnage and unusual dimensions. The starting point was the port of Sattahip in Thailand and the final destination was the west coast of Australia.
The project is part of the ambitious development of the urea plant. Project Ceresled by Perdaman Chemicals & Fertilisers on the Burrup Peninsula. With an investment of close to US$4.5 billion, this facility will convert natural gas into urea to supply the local market, reducing Australia’s dependence on imported fertilizers.
Tailor-made transportation for Australian urea plant
The cargo mobilized included tanks and industrial modules weighing more than 100 tons and heights approaching 20 meters. For this challenge, AAL reassigned the multi-purpose vessel AAL Dampier, an S-Class S-class vessel equipped with cranes capable of lifting up to 700 tons combined, versatile holds and a large open deck.
The technical team developed a tailor-made stowage scheme, respecting navigation visibility requirements and ensuring structural integrity throughout the voyage. The most critical maneuver involved a chemical tank that required a lifting system with 16 anchor points and millimeter tolerances between the unit and the deck.
High-level technical coordination and supervision
According to Nicola Pacifico, head of Transportation Engineering at AAL, the success of the operation was underpinned by close collaboration between the engineering, operations and chartering teams. Technical personnel were deployed on site to supervise each phase of loading and unloading, ensuring that safety standards were met at every step of the process.
Chris Yabsley, AAL’s Chartering Manager in Brisbane, highlighted the fleet’s ability to adapt to customer requirements. The conversion of the regular liner service into a dedicated charter mission demonstrated the shipping line’s operational flexibility in the face of large-scale projects.
Logistical support for national food security
The natural gas supply for this plant for this plant will be guaranteed by a long-term contract with Woodside, strengthening the project’s energy base. With an estimated production capacity of 2.3 million tons per year, the plant seeks to position itself as a strategic pillar in the Australian agribusiness chain.
The transport executed by AAL represents a key step in the materialization of this infrastructure, confirming the role of specialized logistics in the development of large-scale energy and manufacturing projects.
Source and photo: ALL Shipping