Monpe uses ModulMax for double challenge

15 January 2019 by Sotiris Kanaris

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Ghanaian customer Monpe Ventures put together its orange ModulMAX axle lines from Faymonville to move a huge suction pile. The project included two major challenges: the weight and the dimensions of the impressive load.

“When I first got the request to move the suction pile in a vertical position, I was skeptical to say the least. I had seen this been done before but much smaller,” said Peter Everett from MONPE Ventures.

The suction pile was 8m in diameter, 16m high and weighed 125t. To build the ideal transport configuration, the 16 modular axle lines from Faymonville were assembled side-by-side in a four-file configuration.

“Their [Faymonville] engineers came up with this solution. At first, the tipping limits were barely acceptable, so we added 44t counterweights, which reduced the height of the center of gravity a lot and thereby extremely improved these values.”

The piece was fabricated by Belmet 7 inside Takoradi Port. Monpe Ventures transported it from their yard to the quayside at a distance of 3km. “There are chambers and ruts on the road, but it was extremely stable. The client was so impressed that a local company had the equipment and support from the manufacturer to do such a job,” Everett said.

At the quayside, it was loaded on a vessel to be dropped on the sea bed to be used as an anchor for the FPSO (oil platform) in the Ghana oil and gas fields.

Before handling the complicated project, the complete team from Monpe Ventures underwent detailed practical training by a Faymonville instructor.

Faymonville said that its footprint and market penetration on the African continent have grown consistently over the years, making it an important pillar in their worldwide network. “Several hundred units were delivered. Besides modular trailers, numerous semi-trailers, extendable flatdecks, dollies and further specialized solutions from Faymonville help to move machinery and project cargo safely and successfully in Africa,” the manufacturer said.