With Tranche 1 completed, and Tranche 2 of the Victorian Northern Interconnect Expansion Project now well underway, the formative task of transporting steel pipe shipped from Shanghai, China to Tallarook, Victoria posed logistical and transport challenges in getting the equipment to the site.

Asset owner APA Group’s proposal to expand the Victorian Northern Interconnect (VNI) in 2013 by looping sections of the existing pipeline to increase capacity involved three stages:

28 km looping from Wollert to the Wandong Offtake in Victoria, which was completed in mid-2014;

17.3 km looping from Wandong to Broadford, and 117.4 km looping from Mangalore to Glenrowan – to be completed by May 2015; and,

Installation of a third compressor at Culcairn, which is located in southern NSW on the Victorian–NSW Interconnect.

Following the expansion, the VNIE pipeline will be capable of operating at pressures of up to 15.3 megapascals (MPa), compared to the existing maximum pressure of 8.8 MPa between Wollert and Euroa and 7.4 MPa from Euroa northwards.

Transporting pipe from China to Tallarook

Baosteel is the biggest integrated steel mill in China and boasts a comprehensive product range, with linepipe including seamless, electric resistance welded and U-ing, O-ing and expanding pipe, as well as coating and lining facilities.

As part of the project, Chinese steel maker Baosteel was contracted to supply 162 km of API 5L X70 PSL2 400DN 18 m line pipe.

In turn, Bao Australia, Baosteel’s Australian arm, contracted Qube Energy for the customs clearance, stevedoring, storage and stockpile management and transport of the pipe to construction sites at Wallan, Tallarook and Benalla (Tranche 1 and 2), in central Victoria.

Qube was also contracted by APA for crane loading operations at the Tallarook and Benalla sites.

The cargo of pipe reached Australia in four shipments for Tranche 1 and Tranche 2, with two shipments for each tranche.

Shipments for Tranche 1 left from AAL Hong Kong and AAL Pusan, carrying 32 km and 38.5 km of pipe respectively.

The shipments for Tranche 2 were shipped from AAL Newcastle and AAL Brisbane, with 51.9 km and 47.5 km of pipe.

Managing logistics

Despite the large size of the shipments, Qube didn’t encounter any problems with the unloading of the pipe in the Melbourne Docklands, according to Qube General Manager Leatrice Grundy.

Ms Grundy told The Australian Pipeliner that communication with the company’s clients allowed Qube to be well-prepared for the arrival of the shipments, and ensured that the wharf area was clear to receive the line pipe from each vessel.

This organisation ensured that Qube was able to provide flexibility within the project scope, and by ramping up the number of trucks each day, ensured the wharf area was cleared in time for the next shipment.

A number of procedures were used in unloading the pipe, including using a vacuum lift system to unload out-line pipe and a mobile crane for loading the in-line pipe onto the Stop Pipe stockpile stacking system.

This pipe storage system enabled the pipe to be stored in a safe a clean environment while waiting on the wharf.

The unloading, storage and transport processes required Qube to use specialised products for the integrity of the pipe, including;

In-house designed coated pipe hooks to protect coating integrity;

Specialised spreaders to lift maximum number of pipe safely and efficiently from both the vessels and mobile cranes; and,

Vacuum lifts for loading pipe from storage onto the trucks for transport.

On the road to northern Victoria

The transport to sites in northern regional Victoria offered its fair share of logistical problems, with as many as 600 truckloads required to shift the pipe to construction sites.

The pipe was transported on extendable trailers with between eight and eleven trailer loads were delivered to respective sites daily.

Ms Grundy is delighted with the outcomes of the project.

“Qube has always had the ability to provide all the services offered within the scope of the VNIE Project, and it has been rewarding to be able to provide our clients, Bao Australia and APA Group, with the assurance for standards of safety, visibility, flexibility and quality of service.”

APA Group’s Project and Construction Manager for the VNIE Project Richard Cherney said, “Qube was extremely professional in the execution of their delivery logistics associated with the VNIE Project from unloading the pipe off the ship at the wharf, right through to loading pipe into the APA pipe stockpile.”

Source:www.pipeliner.com.au