Van der Wees is well-known for specialised transport over land and water. An example of this specialised transport over the waterways is the transport of refinery columns from the manufacturing location in Cleves to Rotterdam or Antwerp.

Project manager Wouter Kock says: “The columns are driven from the manufacturing location in Cleves to the waterfront using a heavy transport platform. These refinery columns are over fifty metres in length, have a diameter of seven metres, and can weigh around 300 tonnes in total”. Van der Wees takes over the transport from the waterfront.

Heavy

The transport is so heavy that there are is no way of lifting the columns by crane on board a pontoon. For this reason, this specialised transport is driven onto a Van der Wees Ro/Ro pontoon, after which it is hydraulically deposited on seats from the truck. “From that point on, our pontoon takes over the transport” says Kock. It is a journey that is worked out in advance and in great detail. Among other things, the water levels have to be closely monitored because of the depth of the pontoon. Van der Wees is independent, meaning the Ro/Ro pontoons can be used for any customer.

The expertise held by Van der Wees along with the required preparations mean that these transports can run without an issue. The next transport of refinery columns is planned for this autumn.