Lift & Shift Deliver Heaviest and Widest Refinery Columns on India’s Roads – Case Study

As part of the Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited’s  (HPCL) Visakh refinery modernisation project (VRMP) to increase output capacity to 9 MMTPA CDU & VDU, Lift & Shift (LSPL) delivered 2 columns earlier this year. Their transport was the heaviest and widest ever to have been transported on Indian roads.

Details of the columns:

• Vacuum Column
  • 63.3m x 13.1m x 14.3m
  • 990t
• Crude Column
  • 76m x 9.3m x 9.93m
  • 728t

The columns were fabricated by Larsen and Toubro Limited (L&T), at their Hazira Yard. The transport contract was awarded to Lift & Shift who were involved from the start of fabrication .

The columns were moved from yard to L&T ‘L’ jetty 2.5 kms away and then rolled on to LSPL’s ocean-going barge AF 281 during high tide. This transport required 64 SPMT axles consisting of 512 tyres and 2 heavy duty remote control operated power pack units of 440 horse power hydraulically operated trailers.

The barge and LSPL tug left the L&T Jetty in Hazira on 4 January reaching Visakh outer anchorage, 30 days later, on 3 Feb. The planning was made without the need to stop for refueling and reached the destination on time. The LSPL team monitored daily weather and was constantly in touch with the tug crew.

The columns were rolled-off on 14 and 15 February, and transported 4.5km by road in 5hrs on 17 February and 24 February respectively to the HPCL Visakh refinery.

LSPL delivered the equipment safely to the HPCL refinery in an operation which received appreciation all around.

Source Lift & Shift (LSPL)