A total of 19 days at sea, followed by 75 km on the roads between the Port of Rostock and its final destination: installation at the Güstrow facility. What are we talking about? The 37.66 m LNG tank manufactured in Turkey for BioEnergie Park Güstrow, owned by EnviTec Biogas AG. “After a six-month construction period, the largest component in our integrated LNG liquefaction plant has now finally arrived safe and sound in Germany,” reports EnviTec project manager Andreas Kley.
The route between Rostock and Güstrow was handled using a company specialising in heavy, outsized loads. Kley: “This was a pretty tricky undertaking, as we and our haulage partner had to fulfil all of the road transport regulations and could only move the load during specific times of day.” The heavy haulage truck weighs around 130 t and took eight days to complete what is normally a 45-minute route, as it was travelling at no more than 15 km/h and having waiting periods. “Since the height of the truck was almost 7 m, a total of 12 traffic lights had to be temporarily removed,” Kley continues. Many other signs and street lamps had to be moved aside, with high-voltage cabling and phone lines also being raised higher.
“On the two occasions we had to use the motorway, traffic was simply stopped in both directions by the local police,” Kley recalls – a necessary procedure, since the convoy was effectively travelling in the wrong direction along the first section of the route. From production to freight logistics, several companies were involved alongside the local authorities, including tank manufacturer Aritas from Turkey, Bremen-based forwarding agent HBH, Europort in Rostock and the two heavy haulage specialists Bender and Seidel. Crane company Lange from Rostock provided professional assistance for unloading at the site. “Even the coordination work for the tank transport took a lot of time and phone calls, and really put our people skills to the test,” adds team member Elmar Ellebracht, who worked with Jan Bittermann and Kley as the responsible ‘transport trio’ at EnviTec.
On arrival in Güstrow, two cranes capable of handling 400-tonne loads were used to lift the 5.2 m wide tank onto its foundations, and ensure that it could be unloaded and set down safely. From its planned pilot operation in the second quarter of 2023, the Güstrow plant will aim to
supply 25,000 kg of bio-LNG every day to help make heavy goods traffic greener. “In terms of mileage, this output of green fuel can power 50 million truck kilometres a year,” comments Andreas Kley.
Sidebar – BioEnergie Güstrow GmbH
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About EnviTec Biogas AG
EnviTec Biogas AG covers the entire value chain for the production of biogas, including the planning and turnkey construction of biogas plants and biogas upgrading plants as well as their commissioning. The company takes charge of biological and technical services on demand, and also offers operational management services. EnviTec operates 89 of its own plants, making it one of the largest biogas producers in Germany. EnviTec’s business interests also include the direct marketing of upgraded biomethane as well as the marketing of electricity and balancing energy. The company is represented in 15 countries worldwide by its own companies, sales offices, strategic partners and joint ventures. In 2022, the EnviTec Group generated revenue of EUR 382.8 million and EBT of EUR 66.6 million. The Group currently employs 607 people worldwide. EnviTec Biogas AG has been listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange since July 2007.