Mumbai: Mumbai Port Authority (MbPA) on Friday said it has handled three exceptionally heavy over-dimensional cargo (ODC) packages through specialised Ro-Ro operations.

Under this, three packages, weighing a total of 1,452 MT, were part of a coastal consignment transported by barge from Dahej, Gujarat, to Mumbai Port for onward export to Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, UAE, on Thursday, the port operator said.

The packages handled through the Roll-Off operation consisted of a PG Cooler weighing 718 MT, a Riser and Downcomer weighing 502 MT and a Steam Drum weighing 232 MT, it added.

Owing to their exceptional dimensions and weight, the packages could not be discharged through conventional methods using ship's gear or shore cranes, Mumbai Port said.

This demonstrates Mumbai Port's growing capability to facilitate complex heavy lift and project cargo movements and support the movement of Indian-manufactured industrial equipment to international markets, it added.

The movement brings together coastal shipping, specialised port handling, storage and international connectivity through Mumbai Port, illustrating how port infrastructure can support the movement of large industrial consignments from manufacturing locations in India to overseas destinations.

To facilitate their safe discharge, Mumbai Port Authority adopted a specialised Barge Roll-Off method. It was berthed perpendicular to the berth, and its deck was levelled with the surface of the wharf.

Hydraulic puller trailers were then moved onto the barge and positioned beneath the packages, it said, adding that using their hydraulic systems, trailers took the load of the packages and carefully rolled them from the barge onto the wharf.

A key advantage in undertaking the operation was the availability of a berth inside Mumbai Port's lock gate. The tranquil water conditions within the lock gate provided the stability required to maintain alignment between the barge and the quay during the transfer of cargo of such exceptional weight and dimensions, it said.