Global transport and logistics specialist DSV has successfully completed the complex delivery of two oversized petrochemical columns for ORLEN S.A., managing the full end-to-end journey from China to Poland.
The extraordinary cargo weighed a combined 840 tonnes and included a 554-tonne concentration tower — standing as tall as a 30-storey building — alongside a 286-tonne C4 column. To put the scale into perspective, the larger unit alone weighed the equivalent of 369 passenger cars.
DSV’s Project Logistics teams coordinated every stage of the operation, with colleagues in Korea leading the commercial and sea freight management, while specialist teams in Poland oversaw the inland transport from the Port of Gdańsk to the final project site in Płock.
Following arrival in Gdańsk, the columns were transferred onto barges for a five-day journey along the Vistula River — one of Europe’s last major unregulated rivers. Timing proved critical, as the transport was completed during a narrow spring thaw window before water levels dropped below navigable limits.
One of the project’s most technically demanding stages took place at the river port in Płock, where hydraulic lifting and precision skidding techniques were used to move the colossal structures with millimetre accuracy. Reinforced quay infrastructure and specialist riverbed preparation carried out by divers ensured the operation could be completed safely and efficiently.
The 554-tonne column was delivered first, followed shortly by the 286-tonne unit, with the entire project completed within one month and delivered on schedule while maintaining the highest safety standards.