Extraordinary logistics: EMBA Hunutlu Power Station
In 2019 ESI Eurosilo received the biggest order in its history with three 100,000 m3 coal silos for the EMBA Hunutlu thermal power station in Turkey. This requires production and project management at an unprecedented level. Getting all the mechanical equipment to the building site is a project in itself. “We’re already at a 100 containers – and counting”, says Project manager Patrick Spaas.
Secure shipment from multiple production sites
Due to the large scale of the order, the production of equipment and steel parts is spread over several suppliers and multiple production sites in Europe. This really pushes the project management beyond the ordinary to make sure that the complete scope of ESI is delivered on the designated date. Patrick Spaas explains the impact of the complexity: “Normally we handle most of the inspections and packing of goods at the central warehouse of ESI. This is impossible with multiple production sites in different countries, such as the Czech republic, Estonia and of course the Netherlands. We are looking at dozens of containers per supplier and in one case even more than 40 containers.”
Tight schedule
“Our job is to deliver everything in good order in Istanbul. From Istanbul to Hunutlu the transport will be taken care of by local companies. The challenge is to get everything ready for shipment in a very short period. We are closely monitoring the progress on the production side, while investigating the safest and smartest approach for the transport. It really comes down to getting a job done in less than a couple of weeks, that would normally take about three months”, says Patrick.
Scale up in loading capacity
A bottleneck in the tight schedule is the number of containers that can be loaded per day. Patrick: “We not only need to ensure that all the equipment is inspected, documented and packed, but also that it will be assembled correctly after unpacking, by using stickers and quick reference guides. This requires a team of about 20 well instructed professionals to handle the loading simultaneously at different locations. We’re now working on close cooperation with specialized transport companies.”
Logistic optimization
Transporting the goods from the production sites to the harbor of Istanbul will take place by a combination of truck and ship. This adds up to a logistic puzzle of time, cost, risk mitigation and capacity. Patrick states: “This is definitely the most challenging project ever, considering a logistic budget that largely exceeds the budget for any normal project. We are in the process of investigating, calculating and recalculation different scenarios, but I’m confident that we can make this work. The coming weeks, it’s showtime!”