COSCO Shipping Specialized Carriers said it finished a two-barge submersion loading operation in three hours, taking engineering barge BEVERLEY and transport barge LIZZIE1 on board heavy lift vessel Xiang An Kou.

The shipment is bound for Fremantle Port, Australia, to support Western Australia’s Alkimos Seawater Desalination Plant (ASDP). The project is described as supplying up to 10 billion litres of clean drinking water annually and strengthening climate-resilient water security for 2.5 million residents.

The company said the ASDP voyage departed Singapore and transited challenging South China Sea conditions. It added that 3.5 days of preparation—using nearly 400 wooden blocks, four millimetre-accurate welded columns, and marking, welding, and securing—supported Submersion Day steps covering positioning, barge approach, mooring, and securing, backed by real-time weather monitoring, risk protocols, and resources from COSCO Shipping Special Transport East China.