Heavy-Lift Transshipment Base Facility, Port of Burgas Upgrade

Location:

BMF Port Burgas, Bulgaria

Project Description:

A significant port upgrade project of an existing terminal within the Port of Burgas to create a heavy-lift transhipment base.

The works included new quay walls, a berthing/mooring/access jetty, berthing/mooring dolphins and approximately 10 hectares of heavy-duty reinforced concrete pavement.

The new base is suitable to receive large ocean-going module delivery ships and a fleet of bespoke module-carrying vessels and barges. The modules which will be transhipped through the base using Ro-Ro technology.

The project was an important logistics component within a much larger oil and gas project.

Sarens N.V. were responsible to the overall project Owner for developing the base and will carry out a multi-year transhipment operations campaign.

The design and the construction of the base was procured by BMF Port Burgas and the bulk of the design was largely carried out in Bulgaria by local firms. The construction works were undertaken by a combination of Bulgarian, Turkish, Russian and Dutch contractors.

The below video shows the timeline for the port construction over the two year period.

Our Role:

Waves Group were appointed by Sarens N.V as their assurance consultant for the project. We provided specialist maritime civil engineering consultancy services for the planning, design verification and construction supervision of the extensive civil upgrade works required.

Activities:

Waves Group civil engineers were embedded with the Sarens team in the project offices and provided a full-time presence on site throughout the construction period. Overall, we were continuously involved in the Burgas project for a period of 2-and-a-half years. Works on site were successfully completed on time for the start of transhipment operations in 2018.
Our role included not only design verification but extended to a much broader remit as project reviewers. As the project developed this role grew to include significant project management assistance to the Port and to Sarens.

Activities undertaken by Waves Group:

• Interpretation and development of the project requirements
• Statistical analysis of berth operability and quay height
• Outline design
• Review of design criteria
• Review of designs
• Assessment and development of variations to the requirements
• Provision of advice on construction management
• Supervision of construction
• Reporting and monitoring of construction progress
• Chairing of monthly project progress meetings with BMF Port Burgas
• Preparation of as-built condition survey record reports of all facilities
• Compilation of all design and construction records for archive purposes