Mammoet recently signed as the official heavy lift and transport partner for the New European PDH project on the Borealis Kallo site, which was announced last year as one of the most significant investments in European petrochemicals in 20 years.
The propane dehydrogenation plant, one of the largest and most efficient in the world, will have a production capacity of 750,000 metric-tons, supplying propylene to a range of European industries.
Mammoet has been awarded the inland transport and the lifting scope and will transport 35 of the heaviest items from the port to the Kallo site. Mammoet will then use a custom-built gantry and multiple crawler cranes to erect the parts, including the 1600 metric-ton, 108m long C3 splitter column and large heater modules. Next to that, Mammoet will provide the hydraulic crane pool used by contractors on site.
Gunther De Rijcke, Project Director, from Borealis, explains why Mammoet was chosen: “Our drivers for this project are safety and quality to ensure that we deliver this project on time and in the budget. With Mammoet we have a single source supplier for lifting and transport to, and on, site. Mammoet has a significant presence in the Antwerp area and has completed many projects of this size, scale and impact for other industry leaders. We needed a partner that we can trust to do the job.”
“We are proud and thankful for the trust in our company for such a landmark project”, explains Jos van der Sanden, Petrochemical Segment Leader for Europe and Russia, Mammoet. “The lift of the heaviest item, the 1600t splitter, will be the largest lift that Antwerp has seen in recent years and expresses the potential for the future.”
Preparations are underway and the operation is expected to commence in the first half of 2020.
Borealis held the groundbreaking ceremony in September this year.
