Megamove Powers India’s Energy Buildout

By Malcolm Ramsay

Prism Logistics’ Dipasmit Ghosh recounts the challenge of transporting two colossal coke chambers across 2,000 kilometers of India’s most grueling terrain.

From Issue 1, 2026 of Breakbulk Magazine

(5-minute read)

India’s race to expand its energy infrastructure is creating some of the most demanding logistics challenges anywhere in the world. Few projects exemplify this scale and complexity better than Prism Logistics’ recent transport of two colossal coke chambers across 2,000 kilometers of India’s most challenging terrain.

This move was a key part of the ambitious Barauni Refinery expansion, and involved components weighing more than 400 tonnes each, showcasing not only the ingenuity of modern logistics but also the critical role of collaboration in delivering India’s energy future.

“Transporting two massive coke chambers was far more than a logistics exercise,” Dipasmit Ghosh, head of branding at Prism Logistics, told Breakbulk. “It was a test of engineering precision, regulatory compliance and operational coordination.”

A central challenge for the firm was devising a route to take these huge chambers safely across the country, given that each unit measured over 36 meters in length and 10 meters in diameter.

Vital Expansion

Established in 1964 in collaboration with the Soviet Union, the Barauni Refinery has been a cornerstone of India’s energy infrastructure for decades. Located in Begusarai, Bihar, the refinery has undergone multiple expansions, increasing its crude processing capacity from an initial 1 million metric tonnes per annum (MMTPA) to the current 6 MMTPA. The latest expansion, approved in 2020, aims to further boost capacity to 9 MMTPA, making it one of the most significant refinery upgrades in India’s recent history.

Prism Logistics was contracted by owner Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) to transport the coke chambers for this latest expansion and the first challenge was to determine a safe route from the manufacturing hub at Kandla SEZ (Special Economic Zone) in Gujarat on India’s west coast.

Headquartered in Kolkata, West Bengal, Prism Logistics specializes in heavy-lift, bulk material handling, port handling, custom clearance and freight forwarding, and operates a portfolio of assets in India and the Gulf region.

“We began with a detailed engineering route survey using 3D laser scanning, drone-based mapping and AutoTURN simulations to assess bridge load limits, turning radii and gradient transitions,” Ghosh said. “Additionally, bathymetric (underwater depth) and geotechnical studies were conducted at river crossings and jetty locations. These tools helped us foresee and mitigate constraints like low clearances, soft soil zones and uneven approaches well before execution.”

With a clear understanding of the challenges involved, Prism was then able to map a multimodal route combining coastal shipping, mid-sea transshipment, inland waterways and road transport. This included significant preparatory work to make the route ready, ranging from reinforcement of road infrastructure to temporary modification of culverts and bypass construction.

Load Out

With plans finalized, the first phase of this complex project was to load the coke chambers onto Goldhofer self-propelled modular transporters (SPMTs) at the manufacturing hub in Kandla SEZ. These were configured in a 20+20 axle line in order to provide the necessary load distribution and maneuverability for the initial inland stretch to Kandla Port.

The SPMTs were driven by 500 HP Scania and Volvo prime movers, equipped with high-torque engines and hydro-mechanical drive systems, ensuring controlled traction during critical gradients. These units not only provided the traction needed for push-pull operations, but also delivered fine control on some of the steepest gradients and delicate positioning phases.

“One of the most complex engineering tasks was the creation of a temporary inclined bypass — a 30-degree, 100+ meter-long connection between the riverbed and the transport path,” Ghosh said. “This structure allowed the safe roll-on and roll-off of the coke chambers without compromising stability.”

To ensure the load was secure at each moment, the SPMTs were each fitted with load-cell integrated platforms that continuously measured axle-wise pressure. These readings were then transmitted via wireless telemetry to the central control unit, where they were analyzed against pre-engineered thresholds. Additional tilt sensors and hydraulic pressure monitors also tracked any imbalance, ensuring immediate corrective action during movement or lifting.

Coastal Shipping

Upon reaching Kandla Port, the coke chambers were carefully loaded onto the heavy-lift ocean-going vessel, Jumbo Kinetic, operated by Jumbo, a member of the JSI Alliance. Fitted with 1,800-tonne main cranes and unrestricted deck strength of 15 metric tons per square meter, the Jumbo Kinetic is ideally suited for transporting oversized and asymmetrical cargo like the coke chambers.

The vessel’s dynamic ballast system and advanced motion compensation technology ensured stability during the voyage, even in challenging sea conditions, and its large, open deck space provided the flexibility needed for secure stowage and precise alignment of the chambers. The vessel’s route was also planned to avoid adverse weather and optimize fuel efficiency, with close tracking of environmental factors used to guide the journey.

“A real-time communication network allowed project managers to monitor every stage of the move and quickly respond to any contingency,” Ghosh said. “Load securing and stability calculations were revalidated at each transshipment point, ensuring the structural integrity of the cargo remained uncompromised.”

For most breakbulk shipments, the next phase would be unloading the cargo upon arrival at land but, for this project, Prism faced an additional challenge. Given the tidal conditions and geography at the unloading point, the team was forced to carry out a mid-sea transshipment instead, moving the giant coke chambers from the Jumbo Kinetic onto a waiting barge.

“It was one of the most challenging phases,” Ghosh said. “The operation took place during a calm weather window, maintaining sea state below 1.5 meters and we relied on real-time weather tracking and tidal forecasts to select the ideal timing.”

With only a short period of time to complete the transshipment, the team had no room for error and began the operation at dawn to take advantage of optimal visibility and low tidal movement.

“Coordination between the vessel, barge and crane teams was maintained through VHF communication and synchronized ballast adjustments, ensuring a smooth and safe transfer offshore,” Ghosh said.

Inland to Bihar

With the giant chambers safely transferred to a river-going barge via this complex mid-sea transshipment, the next phase involved navigating the Ganges River to Simariya Jetty in Bihar. The barge itself was equipped with draft monitoring equipment, and was specifically chosen by the team at Prism for its deck load capacity and ability to handle the chambers’ immense weight and dimensions.

“The barges used were IRS-classified, twin-screw, flat-top deck carriers with a deck load capacity of 15 MT/ m²,” Ghosh said. “They were equipped with GPS-based draft monitoring to maintain balance and clearance.”

The journey up the Ganges was not without its challenges and Prism Logistics had to work closely with local river pilots and hydrographic experts to time the barge’s movement with tidal windows, ensuring adequate under-keel clearance through shallow and narrow stretches.

Final Approach

Having traversed the Ganges, this precious cargo finally arrived at the Simariya river jetty, ready to be reloaded onto Goldhofer SPMTs for onward transport by road. In this phase, the large dimension of each unit presented further difficulties for the team as they not only had to contend with rural infrastructure, but also strict height restrictions on the route.

“The tightest vertical clearance came during the final road approach, where overhead obstacles offered less than 300 millimeters of space,” Ghosh said. “Horizontal clearances were sometimes as narrow as 500 millimeters on each side. To manage this, laser-guided profiling and pilot vehicle coordination ensured smooth and incident-free passage through each constricted zone.”

Using the detailed data from the preparatory route surveys, the team was able to anticipate issues well in advance and calculate the swept path to within millimeters. This proved particularly useful when unplanned changes to the terrain disrupted the journey. An example of this was unexpected soil settlement near a culvert on route which threatened to derail delivery.

Armed with the necessary data, Prism’s team was able to detect the change well in advance and then redesign a bypass section on-site, ensuring a minimum of lost time.

“Adaptability was key to success,” Ghosh said. “Localized route adjustments were also made to bypass flooded areas. In coordination with district authorities, temporary powerline lifting and road strengthening were carried out to maintain schedule integrity without compromising safety.”

Looking Ahead

With the final approach complete, the coke chambers were finally ready for installation at the Barauni Refinery, marking a critical milestone in the expansion of the site’s Coker B unit. The unit is in the process of being upgraded from 500,000 tonnes per annum (tpa) to 662,000 tpa, and is vital for processing heavy residual oils into valuable products like petroleum coke, gasoline and diesel.

These high-value fuels are a cornerstone of the refinery’s broader modernization efforts, and the upgraded Coker B unit, along with new units like the Once Through Hydrocracker Unit (OHCU) and Fuel Gas Treatment Unit (FGTU), will enable the refinery to produce BS-VI/Euro-VI compliant fuels and meet India’s environmental targets.

Highlighting the project as “a strategic investment in India’s energy future,” IOCL now anticipates the Barauni refinery expansion will come online by August 2026, with phased introduction of the new facilities beginning as early as this year.

“This project showcased how engineering-led logistics can overcome complex geographical and infrastructural challenges,” Ghosh said. “Delivering the coke chambers on schedule and without incident reinforced our belief that with the right planning and expertise, even the most demanding heavy-lift projects can be executed flawlessly.”

Prism Logistics, Goldhofer and JSI Alliance will be exhibiting at Breakbulk Middle East 2026.

Top photo: Traffic is temporarily halted to allow the 400-tonne units to traverse rail lines. Credit: Prism Logistics
Second: IRS-classified riverine barges transported the chambers along the Ganges. Credit: Prism Logistics