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Having successfully managed one of the largest liquid natural gas (LNG) projects over a 3-year span, DB Schenker Peru has positioned itself as a top logistics provider for companies that need to move large and heavy products and oversized cargo worldwide.
Working with a vast network of transportation, security, insurance and other vital partners, DB Schenker has mastered the management of extremely complex projects in Peru. Most recently, the global logistics provider was called upon to transport eight large barges from Peru to Chile.
After receiving a request for bid in February 2021, the logistics provider won the project award, gathered all the resources it needed for a successful project completion—including warehousing for handling the distribution of the cargo—and arranged for both the pickup and delivery to the port facilities in order to ship the cargo.
Managing Huge Structures with Ease
For one of the world’s largest copper projects in northern Chile, one American engineering and construction built the 1,200 freight tons, 12,000 cubic meter barges for use on the project. The huge structures had to be collected from the supplier’s warehouse in Lima and then transported 250 kilometers over land to the Port of Pisco (in southern Peru).
From there, the oversized cargo was shipped by sea to Puerto Angamos in Chile. The project took place in 2021 and encompassed four different shipments using break-bulk carriers. In the midst of the pandemic-related port congestion, container shortages and a lack of vessels, DB Schenker was able to make a quick pivot. As a result, the shipments reached their destination on time versus being held up by the ongoing transportation challenges.
Jorge Roman, Operation Director at DB Schenker Peru, said that after numerous coordination meetings with the customer and with the Peruvian exporter, it was decided that the goods would be picked up from the exporter site in Lurin, which is located about 40 kilometers from the nation’s main port of Callao. The barges would then be stored in a warehouse (i.e., a “dry port”) until all of the cargo could be consolidated for shipment.
“The dry port was very near the port itself, so as soon as cargo was ready, they would just be loaded onto the ship,” said Roman. A vessel shortage would interrupt those plans and force DB Schenker to reroute the shipment to the Port of Pisco, which is located about 250 kilometers from Lurin.
“A completely different logistics approach had to be applied,” Roman explained. “It was like an entirely new operation. We had to come up with a new plan, study the roads, visit the port to check on its security operations, and take other steps to ensure a successful operation.”
The Effort Pays Off
The last-minute maneuvering paid off. Maximiliano Mori, Product Manager, Ocean at DB Schenker Peru, said the oversized cargo was successfully transported to the new port and shipped by sea from Pisco to Puerto Angamos in Chile. A total of four break-bulk carrier shipments were delivered during year 2021. All of the cargo arrived on time and was shipped to the terminal facility to await distribution to the mining site.
Mori credits DB Schenker’s strong partnerships with in-country providers and its years of experience managing complex, oversized projects with helping to make this latest project a success.
“In this case, we handled the oversized cargo in standard and special equipment,” Mori explained. “This shows the project scope we’re able to handle, and our status as a major player in Peru, where we have coverage across all points in the country’s south, north and central regions.”
There’s More to Come
Situated in a country that’s rich with natural resources, DB Schenker Peru is always looking for new ways to add value and expertise to projects related to gas, oil and mining. Looking ahead to 2022, the logistics provider already has two significant projects ready to implement in January as well as several others that are currently under negotiation.
Also in 2022, DB Schenker expects to become one of the main project operators in Peru. “To do this, we’ve been working hard to optimize our operation and partner network to provide the best solutions to our customers,” said Roman. “We have all the safety standards and operational expertise for the movement of oversized load on time and safely.”
