Cargo transport route in Kazakhstan

To build those facilities, prefabricated modules, each weighing up to 2,000 tonnes, were brought in by ship from around the world to the Caspian Sea. From 2012 Witteveen+Bos was involved in this, through the design and realisation of a transport route - the Cargo Transportation Route (CaTRo) - to transport these modules from this shallow part of the Caspian Sea to the oil field. A large and complex project full of challenges.

The ships carrying the modules have a draft of up to 3.5 metres deep. These ships must be able to navigate through the Caspian Sea. For this purpose, a 71-kilometre-long and 62-metre-wide channel, with 32 large artificial islands on either side, has been built.

An entirely new 15-hectare port was built on the north-east coast of the Caspian Sea with various facilities to safely tranship the heavy modules. From this new port, the modules were transported on a new road network totalling almost 32 kilometres long. Part of this road network is a dyke with a length of more than 14 kilometres. A large terminal site was also constructed on the route, with water plant and treatment and accommodation for more than 500 staff. Egbert Teunissen, project manager from Witteveen+Bos, is proud of the project team: 'There was a lot of work to be done. The task was enormous, with a tight schedule, a complex organisation, various permits and many changes'.

'We make the consequences of design choices as clear as possible.'

Witteveen+Bos carried out the feasibility study for all project components and aspects, including environmental impacts. Our firm prepared and processed the local permits and design approvals, carried out an environmental impact assessment, and conducted offshore and onshore surveys. We prepared the Front End Engineering Design (FEED) and detailed design of the canal and port structures.

To do so much work, more than two hundred Witteveen+Bos staff worked on the project from the Netherlands and Kazakhstan. For instance, Egbert alternated four weeks in Kazakhstan with four weeks in the Netherlands. During the weeks he was in the Netherlands, colleague Johan Lijftogt took over and vice versa.

Egbert: 'With such challenging and demanding projects, you really need a partner. Johan and I had an agreement that we could call each other 24 hours a day, because sometimes you needed to tell your story.' The challenge was not only to realise the project as well as possible within the specified time, but also to do so as sustainably as possible. For instance, the shapes and dimensions of the 32 artificial islands were adjusted, as this was better for fish migration, among other things. Solutions were also provided to enable 'zero discharge policies' and transport distances were taken into account in material choices.

Decisions on sustainability within a project of this magnitude, have an immediate impact. For many Witteveen+Bos consultants, sustainability is not a black-and-white issue. Context always plays a role. Engineers cannot always influence whether or not a project will take place, but they can provide insight into the consequences of design choices, suggest the best alternatives and give clear, valuable advice.

Keeping in mind the interests of design choices made, moving so much work and coping with the diverse challenges requires intensive cooperation. Especially when so many Witteveen+Bos employees are working on it, with 15 subcontractors, for two clients and from six countries. Egbert therefore cites 'real teamwork' as an important success factor: 'We had to work hard and sometimes be hard, but we also kept an eye on each other, to see what was needed. It gave extra energy to see how the team grew. Moreover, in a large and complex project like CaTRo, you also grow as a person.'