Jumbo Maritime has completed the discharge of three project cargo modules from heavy lift vessel Fairplayer in Rotterdam, including a unit weighing 280 tonnes that was transferred directly onto a barge alongside the ship.

The lifting work was carried out with Fairplayer’s two onboard cranes, each with a capacity of 900 tonnes. A specially designed modular lifting frame was used as part of the lifting arrangement. The two other modules weighed 105 tonnes and 156 tonnes.

The vessel’s cranes operated together during the lifts to manage cargo with different weights and dimensions. The lifting configuration also had to take account of the modules’ lifting points, dimensions, centres of gravity and the way loads were distributed through the lifting system.

Positioned between the crane hooks and the cargo, the modular frame provided an adaptable connection for the different module configurations. The equipment was originally developed for the SASOL project in 2017 and was retained for later project cargo operations.

Its use in Rotterdam reduced the need to create a completely new lifting arrangement for the discharge. Each individual lift nevertheless required separate engineering assessment and operational preparation.

Once lifted from Fairplayer, the modules were lowered onto a barge positioned alongside the vessel. Mammoet and HEBO were involved in preparations and execution before, during and after the operation, according to Jumbo Maritime. Their individual scopes of work were not specified.

The discharge combined heavy lift shipping, engineered lifting equipment and barge transport in a single ship-to-barge operation using Fairplayer’s own lifting capability.

Details about the modules’ ownership, industrial use, port of origin and onward destination were not provided by Jumbo Maritime.