Beluga Transport Engineers, Germany, was recently involved in the transportation of a gigantic buoy on board the 'Beluga Formation'.
The dimensions of this buoy outstrip many conventional vessels as it has a weight of 1,100 tonnes and a height of 27 metres, making it the largest buoy in the world.
The loading of such a large and sensitive object required precision and detailed preparation.
Recent modifications had changed the centre of gravity of the buoy and turned it asymmetrical.
To handle the project, Beluga Transport Engineers and cooperated with its client, Altus Oil & Gas Services, acting for BW Offshore (BWO) and Advanced Production and Loading (APL), the manufacturer of the buoy.
The floating crane slowly lifted the cargo and positioned it on the multipurpose heavy-lift project carrier. A specially designed grillage had been welded and was fixed to the weather deck of the vessel.
One of the main tasks was guaranteeing the structural integrity of the vessel: The weight and size of the buoy and the grillage put tremendous loads on the ship's structure; in some parts they exceeded 200 tonnes per square metre.
The loading was concluded in the space of one day, after which the big buoy began its 10,000-nautical-mile voyage from Indonesia through the Pacific Ocean and the Panama Canal to an offshore location in the Gulf of Mexico.
