Together to the back of beyond
Sometimes it is possible to do two things at once: Express Global Logistics delivered supplies for dam construction and hydroelectric power projects in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In collaboration with Polytra EGL delivered total of 3,500 t under rather unfavourable conditions. The two firms that teamed up are both also members of the WWPC network.
The Grand Inga 3 dams that lie at the heart of an ambitious hydroelectric power project for the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as well as for Namibia, Angola, Botswana and South Africa, have been awaiting their implementation for decades. The first phase of the scheme’s realisation is now set to start after international development banks pledged support in March 2014. Express Global Logistics EXG (formerly known as Express Transport), the Indian member of the Worldwide Project Consortium network (WWPC), recently fulfilled the first larger transport in Congo Brazzaville on behalf of a major client. A special challenge was posed by the destination – it was inland and far away from any roads, railway or rivers. The shipment comprised excavators, dumper trucks, cranes and other earth-moving machinery.
Convoy through no man’s land
EXG shipped around 3,500 t from Mumbai to Lubumbashi in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, via Dar es Salaam (Tanzania). The palette of tasks also encompassed customs clearance, which required the timely presentation of shipping waybills, as well as keep berthing fees to a minimum at the port of discharge. Around 80 vehicles with an escort took over the freight there.
Numerous other permits were required as the consignment had to cross two more frontiers – from Tanzania via Zambia – to DR Congo. Within the framework of the project and under the client’s supervision Polytra, another WWPC member, took on the task of transporting large modules in such a way as to ensure that they had a safe trip to their destination. The customer consented to EXG and Polytra’s successful optimisation of the load, which resulted in the need for fewer vehicles than originally planned.