BIFA Awards
Leach added: “It involved a lot of hours. We worked around the clock.” Hemisphere director Louis Perrin pointed out that Morgan, who is based in Ipswich, travelled to Avonmouth regularly in order to manage the project in person. “We are very hands-on with project management,” Perrin said. “We believe it is important to be present. You can learn so much that way, and you can see problems arising and be there to deal with them on the spot without delay. Having project managers on site makes Hemisphere different to other companies. It strengthens communication with our suppliers and customers.” Other than the shipping line complication, the main challenges involved in the project were high winds at installation sites, extra foundation works and complications around installing pylons in protected areas – for example, those that were home to nesting wildlife. “We had to swap or cancel our plans at the last minute sometimes,” Morgan said. “We had to be dynamic and quick-thinking.” Port-centric Currently, Leach said Hemisphere has a variety of work including importing electric buses, machinery and cars valued at over US$20 million. The company is also in the process of building a new 245,000 sq ft warehouse at Great Blakenham near Felixstowe. This modern facility will provide 3PL ful fi lment services, including for the rapidly growing e-commerce market. It will have 35,000 racked pallet locations and 8,000 bulk pallet locations, a state- of-the-art warehouse management system and automated handling equipment. The warehouse will be carbon neutral, with any extra electricity from its solar panels going back to the grid in the summer. Its location near the port of Felixstowe reduces transport miles, journey time, cost and CO 2 emissions. “Growing our port-centric infrastructure is part of our core strategy: we want to be our customers’ total logistics provider for all their logistics and supply chain needs, and have a positive impact on their business,” Perrin said.
The project involved four breakbulk vessels’ worth of cargo
Hemisphere handles Hinkley power challenge
Juggling the requirements of suppliers, clients, port and shipping lines, Hemisphere Freight Services played a vital role in the UK National Grid’s fl agship Hinkley Connection Project – and claimed BIFA’s Project Forwarding Award into the bargain
T he three-year Hinkley Connection Project, completed in 2023, saw Hemisphere transport 116 brand new world- fi rst ‘T-pylons’ to their fi nal installation sites along a 57km route between Bridgewater, Somerset, and Seabank near Avonmouth. Four breakbulk vessels’ worth of cargo, totalling 673 pieces with a combined weight of 580,000 kg and overall volume of 26,200 cu m, had to be discharged, stored and transported to sites across the region. “We put in a lot of time, energy and conversations to fi nd solutions that would work for everybody,” said project logistics specialist Daniel Morgan. “It is important to get in front of people – to travel, have in-person meetings, and bring suppliers and customers together.” A clear example of the importance of this approach occurred when the shipping line wanted two vessels to arrive at Avonmouth simultaneously –
something the port was unable to handle. Morgan recalled: “It was frantic. Detention rates can be tens of thousands of dollars per day so we had to adjust the plan with the port and the vessel. We were there on site to liaise between the stevedores and the captain. In the end we unloaded the two vessels back to back.” Projects team manager Dan
Dan Leach (left) and Dan Morgan, Hemisphere Freight Service
Project Forwarding Award
Macbeth Insurance Brokers are extremely proud to continue the association with the freight and logistics sector that began over 40 years ago under the Peter Lole & Co
name. Whether your business specialises in freight by sea, air, road or rail, or handles specific goods, we can provide advice on insurance cover, applicable trading conditions and contractual obligations.
20 | June 2024
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