Spetstyazhavtotrans

Spetstyazhavtotrа́ns (/spətstʌʒʌftəˈtrʌns/; Russian: Спецтяжавтотранс) is the first specialized enterprise in the USSR which was established in the 1970s for shipment of oversized heavy cargoes.

World transport record — October 28, 2013

This is a Russian group of companies that provides a full range of engineering services in the oil, gas, chemical, energy and other industries. Its short name is Spetstyazhavtotrans GC.

History

Stages of development

• 1974 – establishment of scientific and technical committee to prepare proposals to ensure the transportation of oversized energy and industrial equipment of a large mass
• 1976 – resolution of State Committee on Science and Technology dated 24.11.76 “On ensuring the transportation of large-sized and heavy energy and other industrial equipment and the development of related research and development work”
• 1978 – resolution of the Council of Ministers of the USSR No 262 “On measures to improve the organization of transportation of large-sized and heavy cargoes” ^[1]
• 1978 - establishment of a specialized research and production association (SRPA) “Spetstyazhavtotrans”
• 1978-1988 – creation of classification of complexity groups for shipment of oversized cargoes of a large mass (OCLM) and methods of calculating the economic efficiency of OCLM transportation
• 1978 – development of project of oversized cargoes transportation by Minrechflot vessels started
• 1981 – transportation security agreement for particularly heavy and large-sized equipment for nuclear power in international communications of CMEA countries
• 1982 – “Long-term comprehensive development program of OCLM transportation by specialized vehicles for the period of 1981-2000” was approved ^[2]
• 1982-1983 – scientific and transport expedition to research highways inland the USSR from the Caspian Sea
• 1985 – maritime transport joined the transportation of oversized heavy cargoes by vehicles and river transport
• 1986 – first oversized cargoes transportations by air transport (АN-124 “Ruslan” airplanes)
• 1988 – traffic volume of large-sized heavy cargoes increased to 1 mln 250 thous. tons (for comparison: in 1981 it amounted to 353 thous. tons) ^[3]

1986. Moscow. Transportation pedestal of monument to Lenin

• 1991– the Council of Ministers of the RSFSR by Resolution dated April 15 N 10 obliged the Ministry of Transport of the RSFSR to take measures aimed at carrying out denationalization and privatization of state property by “Spetstyazhavtotrans” SRPA and State Scientific and Research Institute of Road Transport (SSRIRT) and converting them into joint-stock companies ^[4]
• 1992 - creation of automated information retrieval system “IPS Project” for finding optimal transport and technological solutions.
• 2004 – beginning of the modern history. “Spetstyazhavtotrans” acquired new owners. General meeting of shareholders appointed the new company management.
• 2006 – establishment of the Group of Companies “Spetstyazhavtotrans”
• 2006 – establishment of “Polynom” LLC with a new line of business – design of oil and gas facilities
• 2007 – establishment of “EDO “Spetstyazhproekt” LLC
• 2008 – establishment of “NefteGazEnergoStroy Engineering” (“NGES Engineering” LLC)
• 2012 - “Polynom” LLC won the IX All-Russian competition for the best design and survey organization^[5]

Events

The 1970s were the years of great construction in the USSR. This is the start of construction of dozens of major facilities of industrial and energy complex of the Soviet Union: Atommash, Kureiskaya, Sayano-Shushenskaya, Sakhalin and other HPP, NPP, oil and gas pipelines of Western Siberia, as well as first petrochemical plants.

And each of them needed transportation services for large-sized heavy cargoes and technological equipment with high unit capacity, which could not be delivered “in bulk” or in parts, followed by installation on site.^[3]

The problem was so tangible that for its study in 1974 the State Committee of the Council of Ministers of the USSR created the Temporary Scientific and Technical Committee to prepare proposals to ensure the transportation of oversized energy and industrial equipment of a large mass. The committee investigated comprehensively the transportation problems of oversized cargoes of a large mass (OCLM). The Committee’s proposals were reflected in the resolution of the State Committee of the Council of Ministers of the USSR dated 24.11.76 “On ensuring the transportation of large-sized and heavy energy and other industrial equipment and the development of related research and development work” and “Guidelines for the research and design work to ensure the transportation of the energy and other industrial equipment”. These documents stated the main problems of research and development work, as well as measures to satisfy the needs of the national economy in the equipment transportation, including the search for new technical and organizational solutions.^[3]

In May of the same year in Gorky a specialized convoy to transport large-sized heavy cargoes was formed - Gorky company for transportation of large-sized heavy cargoes SPETSTYAZHAVTOTRANS convoy.^[3]

On April 6, 1978 the resolution of the Council of Ministers of the USSR No 262 “On measures to improve the organization of transportation of large-sized and heavy cargoes” ^[1] was made. Among the series of measures, the establishment of a specialized research and production association (SRPA) “Spetstyazhavtotrans” was indicated. From this moment the oversized cargoes transportation in the country has reached a new level and began to develop actively. For several years in the Soviet Union a clear and effective system of heavy traffic, which functioned until the perestroika era, was created.^[3]

By the early 90s “Spetstyazhavtotrans” was no longer a convoy but a powerful research and production association, which share, according to some estimates, accounted for over 60% of all transportation of oversized cargoes of a large mass in the country. It consisted of five major trucking companies in Novgorod, Leningrad, Moscow and Astrakhan, with branches in other cities. The base areas were formed in Siberia, where there were constant transportations – Surgut, Noyabrsk, Nizhnevartovsk and others.^[3]

The main outcome of several years of work of “Spetstyazhavtotrans” SRPA was the creation of the unified system of transportation of oversized cargoes of a large mass, its organizational, regulatory and technological foundations in the country. Each of the documents, whether the maintenance provision, calculation methods, safety instructions, typological scheme, – was the result of careful and responsible study of transportation practice, potential of technology, a comprehensive assessment of the actual working conditions of transport workers. Search for the best ways and technologies for the transportation of cargoes, careful preparation of projects and high professionalism of performers became the basic principle of those dealing with large-sized cargo. Their work has established itself as a separate transport activities that are inseparable range of engineering services.^[3]

Significant contribution to the organization, creation and development of techniques and technology of transportation of oversized cargoes was made by A.M. Lyovushkin, L.Y. Byzer, V.S. Molyarchuk, V.N. Androsyuk, A.G. Alexandrov, A.S. Diamidov, N.A. Troitskaya, V.A. Alexandrov, V.P. Safronov, L.M. Moshek, A.A. Lvov, A.Ya. Kogan, P.A. Shpolyansky, R.A. Atanasyan and many others.^[3]

Foundations were created. Integrated development program of oversized transportation determined prospects until 2000. A further technical and organizational development of the system, with optimal dislocation of transport organizations in the country, with machinery and research support were expected.

Perestroika era

By the end of the 90s the unified and harmonious centralized system of transportation of heavy oversized cargoes in the country inevitably crumbled to pieces. Since 1991 branches began to separate and acquire independence. Due to chronic non-payment of customers, production sites in Siberia and other regions were closed. The Nizhny Novgorod company changed administrative leadership, the corporatization was held. There became less and less work in the enterprise, wages were held back. Machinery were actively sold off, equipment was sometimes just given up in the scrap. Everything that was going on more often reminded the bankruptcy scenario, traditional in those years in many industrial enterprises in Russia. Not only domestic “players” were interested in the Russian market of heavy traffic. Foreign transport and engineering companies began actively working in the country.

New post-perestroika history of “Spetstyazhavtotrans” began in the early 2000s, when, after a long “stagnation” in Nizhny Novgorod a young and successful company of Gorky car factory dealers came, and its leaders were Sergey L. Tropin, Kazimagomed T. Tagirov, Igor V. Merkulov. “Spetstyazhavtotrans” in Nizhny Novgorod found new owners and new leadership. They were not afraid of competition, they perfectly orientated in market conditions, which, unlike the Soviet centralized system, required initiatives, active search for customers, more complex procedures for approvals.

The realization that successful work requires restoration of the scientific and exploration capacities came. Relying on professionals, the best experts, talented engineers, designers and planners were attracted into the team. “EDO “Spetstyazhproekt” LLC was actually re-created, and in 2008 –“NefteGazEnergoStroy Engineering” (“NGES Engineering” LLC), at the same time the group of companies included “Polynom” LLC. A new production and scientific structure, which not only provided high quality of engineering support of transportation, but also raised the level of activity of the group of companies to design of facilities of chemical and petrochemical industries was forming.

Significant transportation

• 1977 – transportation from Izhorsk Engineering Plant to Novovoronezh NPP of a reactor vessel and steam generators for power generating unit VVEP-1000.
• 1978 – start of equipment transportation for “Great Chemistry”. Delivery of two reactors for the production of polyethylene of the British firm “John Brown” over 18.2 m in length, with a diameter of 4.5 to 7.6 m; weight - 210 tons each for Prikumsky plastics factory (now “Stavrolen” LLC) in Budennovsk.^[6]
• 1979 - transportation of the turbogenerator stator weighing 490 tons, made by ”Electrosila” LPEO for Kostroma Power Plant.
• 1979 г. – transportation of 9 pieces of equipment for installation of methanol production, the maximum diameter is 6 m, length is 33 m, weight up to 220 tons to Gubahinsky chemical plant.^[7]
• 1981 – multimodal transportation of research vessel “Hydrometeorolog” with a length of 26.5 m, a width of 6.5 m, a height of 7.3 m and a weight of 110 tons for Kyrgyz hydrometeorology office.^[8]
• 1980s – delivery from Petrozavodsk and Dzerzhinsk into Tobolsk of the largest devices in the country — nine distillation columns with a diameter up to 5.5 m, length over 90 m, weighing up to 700 tons.^[9]
• 1980s - delivery of the steam generator of the increased degree of prefabrication weighing 340 tons to Zaporizhia NPP.
• 1982 – maritime transportation of concrete floating workshop with a length of 67.5 m, width of 13.52 m, weight of 1300 tons from Bourgas (Bulgaria) to Havana (Cuba)
• 1983 - transportation by intermodal traffic of distillation column K-5 weighing 335.2 tons, diameter of 5 m and a length of 62 m, from the plant “Dzerzhinskhimmash” in Kirishi
• 1986 – rail, motor and sea transportation of equipment (four units of ammonia production) up to 4 m in diameter, weighing up to 500 tons in Bulgaria for a chemical plant in Dimitrovgrad
• 1987 - transportation of generator stator TVR=120=2 and transformer TDTS=125000/1100 weighing, respectively, 126 and 114 tons into Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk ^[10]
• 2007 – transportation of unit of equipment for polyethylene plant “Nizhnekamskneftekhim” OJSC (320 packages totaling more than 685 tons.)
• 2008 – transportation of two reactors R-1201 (115 tons, a length of about 30 m) and R-1202 (310 tons, a length of over 38 m) to the construction site of the polyolefin plant “Nizhnekamskneftekhim”
• 2009 – water and motor transportation of two reactors weighing of 800 tons each from “Izhorskiye Zavody” to Lukoil-NORSI
• 2012 – multimodal transportation of petrochemical equipment of unit mass up to 380 tons, length of 67 m, diameter up to 7.5 m from “Energomash-Atommash” CJSC Volgodonsk – “TANECO” OJSC Nizhnekamsk ^[11]
• 2010-2013 – transportation of the turbine wheels and large-sized equipment for Sayano-Shushenskaya HPP of “RusHydro” OJSC^[12]
• 2011-2014 – unloading, transportation from the berth and installation of 6 reactors weighing up to 1,300 tons for Tuapse Oil Refinery of OJSC “Rosneft”
• 2013-2014 – transportation and installation of 4 hydrocracking reactors weighing up to 1,306 tons to Achinsk Refinery of OJSC “Rosneft”

The company today

In 2013, the group of companies “Spetstyazhavtotrans” became the world record holder for “Road transportation of the heaviest cargo (hydrocracking reactor) at the farthest distance of 203 kilometers from the village of Kubekovo Krasnoyarsk Territory to Achinsk Refinery^[13]

References

External links

• Official website