Rickmers-Linie, the Hamburg-based specialist for breakbulk, heavylift and project cargoes has successfully concluded a project shipment for MAN Ferrostaal, based in Essen, Germany. The cargo involved was destined for a methanol plant in Oman.

The majority of the cargo relating to this project, comprising three heavylifts plus other breakbulk cargo, was loaded in Antwerp by the modern multipurpose vessel Rickmers Shanghai . These loads had arrived in the Belgian port by barge and by road. Additional cargo associated with this project had been loaded earlier by the same vessel in the US and the entire shipment was discharged at the port of Sohar. Equipped with cranes able to lift up to 640 tonnes when operating in tandem, Rickmers Shanghai loaded and discharged this cargo using her own gear. The heaviest single lift weighed 350 tons and measured of 30.15m x 5.30m x 6.75m.

The methanol plant, which MAN Ferrostaal is constructing for Oman Methanol Co, is due to start production in September 2007, with a capacity of 3,000 tons per day.

Rickmers Shanghai and her eight sister ships are deployed on Rickmers' Round-The-World Pearl String Service, which offers fortnightly eastbound voyages connecting the industrial centres of Europe, Asia and America. Their high service speed allows for deviations to additional ports en route, as in this case Sohar, while still maintaining schedule integrity. Further, Rickmers-Linie operates a monthly liner service from Europe to the Middle East/Indian Subcontinent and vice versa, as well as a monthly westbound liner service from the US East Coast to North China, South Korea and Japan. The company currently operates 19 owned and chartered multipurpose vessels on its routes.