FCL UK’s Logistics Keep Rush-Hour London Moving and Help Deliver the Olympics
 

FCL UK’s Logistics Keep Rush-Hour London Moving and Help Deliver the Olympics
FCL’s Special Projects Department integrates ocean and land transportation of massive, valuable drums of high voltage cable, routes a way through London’s early-morning rush-hour and under its low bridges, and delivers to our client’s Central London premises.
The Challenge

EDF engaged FCL UK to provide logistics and transport solutions to their abnormal load problem: how to move 65 drums of high-voltage electric cable, each one 13500kgs in weight and 4.20m in height, from manufacture in Turkey to the heart of London.  Here they would be used in the Bankside Project.  It was essential that the delivery date was met, and also vital that the final leg avoided both rush-hour traffic and low London bridges.
At a replacement cost of £120,000.00 per cylinder and a total shipment value of £3.24 million, there was no margin for error.
FCL was chosen as it could offer the most efficient and complete solution.

The Solution

FCL and its partner MPL chartered the cargo ship Xindrina.  FCL provided a ‘door-to-door’ service, including the collection of the cable drums, the loading of the Xindrina, and the off-loading and delivery by road to the customer’s premises in Kentish Town.
The vessel arrived on schedule, with Customs clearance previously arranged by FCL.  Off-loading started at 7.30pm and was completed by 2.00am.  At 4.30am the first low-loader was loaded, and a series of these followed.  At 6.00am the convoy of low-loaders set out on a 2½ hour journey, routed to avoid City traffic and low bridges.

The Results

Vehicles arrived at the customer’s premises on time with the drums in perfect condition. 
They were then immediately available for the construction of an underground, high-voltage cable tunnel which guarantees supply through Central London, part of the Olympics preparations.