Eversafe Marine Launches a 300 Ft Barge Stack together to Another 300 Ft Barge

When it comes to barge carriers, we often think of LASH (Lighter Aboard Ship) or SeaBees, equipped with rail-mounted gantry cranes or massive stern lifts. But can common barges act as barge carriers for transportation? And how can we effectively load and unload the carried barge?

In September 2014, Eversafe Marine contracted with Indonesian PMG company to unload a 700-tonne, 230-foot-long barge from a barge carrier, and a 300-foot barge weighing 900 tonnes. These two barges were stacked together by a floating crane in China and then towed to Indonesia. Using launching balloons, the 230-foot barge was directly launched into the sea from the 300-foot barge deck.

Mike Jia, the project manager of Eversafe Marine, commented, “The Indonesian launch project has sparked interest from shipping companies, with WINNING LOGISTIC being one of them. They plan to tow four 1300-tonne barges, each 300 feet long and 80 feet wide, from China to Guinea’s KAMSAR port. Loading barges onto another barge isn’t difficult, as China has most of the lifting barges. If barge unloading issues can be resolved, barges can be stacked for towing, saving time and money.”

He added, “The barges have more than 1000 tonnes of weight and identical dimensions, making loading and unloading a challenging task. The launch must be precise, as there’s no room for error.”

Eversafe Engineers arrived in Guinea on June 10, collaborating with WINNING LOGISTIC to successfully launch two barges from the mother barges within two weeks. The mother barges were ballasted with about 3,000 tonnes of water before launching, with 18 airbags (1.5m diameter) deployed for the launch. The airbags acted as pneumatic rollers, providing a massive air cushion between the barge carrier and the barge, which is key to the launch’s safety.

An Eversafe Marine Manager commented, “Airbag launching is a versatile and flexible technology. The success of directly launching vessels from carriers’ decks means a lot: it can be applied to other deck launching projects, such as jackets launching. Vessels can be loaded and unloaded without the need for other existing facilities—only airbags. Deflated airbags occupy little space, can travel with vessels anywhere, and make launching vessels feasible at any location.”

Eversafe Marine Engineering Company is a pioneer in the maritime industry. It offers superior products and services through innovative, fit-for-purpose, and competitive solutions. The company’s main products include ship launching airbags, pneumatic fenders, foam-filled fenders, and pipe floats. As the first international airbag engineering company, it provides ship launching and landing, heavy lifting and transportation, marine salvage, refloatation, and fender system design and installation both domestically and overseas.

With a track record of developing cost-effective solutions for clients, Eversafe Marine Engineering has proven its ability to manage dynamic, complex projects. The company was awarded the National Science and Technology Progress Award for its achievement in marine engineering technology. Eversafe is honored to collaborate with CNOOC, CNPC, and the China Navy, and works closely with Nankai University in China for technological support and research resources.

This article was originally published on Marine & Industrial Report newspaper Vol 37  No.6  Issue last December 31,2015.