Two bulk carrier ships, the “Port Belmonte” and “Indigo Heritage”, transported in the holds 2,934 pipes for the project being carried out for Codelco.

As the SADDN (Desalinated Water Supply for the Northern District in Chile) project makes steady progress, Techint Engineering and Construction is overcoming a range of logistical and technical hurdles, such as handling the arrival of key inputs for construction. This highlights the commitment made by the entire team to comply with the requirements of its customer Aguas Horizonte and ensure the continuity of Codelco's operations.

The team has just finished coordinating the arrival of the two shipments of pipes from India at one of the docks in Puerto Angamos, in the Antofagasta region in Chile.

“The arrival of these first pipeline shipments in Puerto Angamos is a major milestone for us, as it means we can continue advancing at a steady pace to build the drive system which will provide (desalinated) water to the Northern District of Codelco,” explained Martín Jiménez Álvarez, the Project Manager for the project's Drive and Electrical Systems.

Jiménez Álvarez added that, “We are committed to the success of this project, and a big part of that is being able to guarantee that each of the tasks is completed according to the highest quality and safety standards. We’ve taken a big step in this direction with the whole pipeline transport organization.”

The 2,934 tubes shipped in on the “Port Belmonte” and “Indigo Heritage” arrived in the commune of Mejillones between the end of October and mid-November. From there, they were transported to a temporary storage location (within the same port facilities) before setting out on the last leg of their journey to their final destination.

“We have been working closely with the entire project team to ensure that the commitment we have in terms of safety and operational dedication is 100%, guaranteeing its success,” highlighted Procurement Manager, Jorge Gentile. He added that, “This project will boost growth throughout the region, providing a large number of jobs.”

Control and follow up

The operation to unload the pipe cargo was handled by the port operator at Puerto Angamos, using a land crane. A circuit of nine extendable access ramps was laid out to receive the pipes being lowered from the crane hook (on the dock) and transport them to the Graneles del Norte Terminal collection yard, located approximately one kilometer from the dock, where they were unloaded and stockpiled.

The entire operation was handled seamlessly in terms of the coordination and management of the import proceedings with the Customs Service, while all the port maneuvers were fully supervised at every step of the way, from onboard ship to dockside handling, unloading and operations at the storage yard. In this way, the Foreign Trade team (COMEX) ensured that all unloading and storage procedures were followed, with the support of the Operations and Quality teams, who supervised and inspected the storage yard and pipes.

For Nicolas Balduri, the COMEX and Logistics Manager for Jindal Pipeline, the operations went very smoothly and the unloading maneuvers for the first shipment were carried out without a hitch. “I want to highlight the excellent coordination with the authorities and port operators in all the different operational aspects of the unloading exercise, as well as with the inspectors specialized in maritime operations, who supported us with supervision. We held several operational meetings between Techint E&C and the other parties involved, in order to make sure that all activities were properly aligned, which led to outstanding results,” he said.

The next steps include the unloading of the second vessel in Port Angamos, the arrival at the port of Mundra (India) of the third one and the preparation of a fourth shipment.