Moving the World’s Largest Optical Telescope

By Malcolm Ramsay

Alessio Bianchi, CEO of DCS Liburnus, uncovers how his company masterminded the transport of thousands of tons of cargo from Europe to Chile for the ESO’s Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) project – dubbed "the world's biggest eye on the sky."

From Issue 6, 2024 of Breakbulk Magazine.

(5-minute read)


Studying the depths of space is a complex and laborious task, and one that is only the final step in a long chain of efforts. Unlike the handheld telescopes of antiquity, installation of modern telescopes requires an intricate web of logistics, and this was evident in a recent project undertaken by Italian freight forwarder DCS Liburnus and its partners, tasked with moving thousands of tons of cargo from Europe to Chile on behalf of the European Southern Observatory (ESO).

DCS Liburnus, a member of The Heavy Lift Group, was charged with transporting a massive dome structure and all internal supports for the ESO’s Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) project. Dubbed “the world’s biggest eye on the sky” this landmark infrastructure has been under development since 2005 and, once operational, will be the largest visible and infrared light telescope in the world, and one of mankind’s leading space observatories.

Luis Chavarría, astronomer and ESO representative in Chile, notes that ELT is “going to be almost ten times more powerful than James Webb,” the US$10 billion space telescope launched in 2021 to replace Hubble, adding: “We are going to start answering questions with this telescope which are fundamental to current astronomy.”

Comprising a main dome that stands 80 meters high with a diameter of 93 meters, the ELT is situated on Cerro Armazones, a 3,060-meter peak in Chile’s harsh Atacama Desert, chosen for its remote location, minimal light pollution and optimal conditions for observing the universe. It features a huge 39-meter-wide main mirror and also houses an array of sensitive instruments.

“This project was a significant challenge, but we pride ourselves on offering a seamless, door-to-door service,” Alessio Bianchi, CEO of DCS Liburnus tells Breakbulk. “Overcoming the technical complexities and coordinating all the moving parts required precise planning and execution and our role was to ensure every stage of the logistics process was handled with care and efficiency, bringing all partners together to get the job done successfully.”

Based in the Italian port city of Livorno on the west coast of Tuscany, DCS Liburnus emerged in 2014 as the Project Cargo Division of Del Corona & Scardigli, building on the legacy of Liburnus, founded in 1974. The company specializes in door-to-door shipments of oversized and overweight goods, managing turnkey projects for major Italian industrial providers worldwide.


Logistics Challenges

The logistics of transporting such a colossal structure required not only careful planning but also precision at every step. DCS Liburnus, with its extensive experience in handling oversized and delicate cargo, was entrusted with coordinating the movement of the ELT’s massive dome and internal supports.

“We were awarded the contract for the transport of the dome structure and all internal supports for the mirrors and the rotation movement by Cimolai,” Bianchi of DCS Liburnus comments.

Headquartered in Porcia, Italy, Cimolai is a specialist in the fabrication of structural steel and, for this project, had developed the main rotating metal structure, equipped with sliding openings, and was also responsible for civil works, mechanisms, installations and finishings.

“The design, manufacture, transport, assembly, and testing of the ELT was entrusted to the ACE consortium, led by Cimolai. Success in this major engineering and technical challenge required close cooperation between various technical and commercial departments, suppliers, and workshops,” a spokesperson for Cimolai said.

The first step in this project was to ensure that the necessary lifting equipment and infrastructure would be ready for the outsized structures when they arrived in Chile.

To ensure this, DCS Liburnus organized the shipment of a vessel load of cargo prior to moving the main structures. Bianchi explains this involved “carrying more than 5,000 freight tonnes of cranes, man lifters, forklifts and additional equipment for the job site, via the Port of Iquique.”

While this delivery was huge, it is just the latest phase in a decades-long project, with development stretching back over 20 years. The origins of the ELT can be traced back to a conceptual study initiated by the ESO in 1998, examining the potential for a giant optical-infrared telescope, dubbed the OverWhelmingly Large telescope (OWL). Following a comprehensive evaluation process, the recommendation of the smaller, less complex ELT was put forward and a new study was launched in 2006, backed by over 100 astronomers.

After a final design review in 2010, construction officially commenced in 2014 when the road to the summit was completed, enabling easier access to the construction site. Since then, the ELT has progressed through a series of key phases. In 2016, the contract for the construction of the dome and telescope structure was awarded to the Ace Consortium, marking the beginning of large-scale civil and mechanical works. By 2023, the first main mirror segments had been polished, and the site was largely prepared for the dome structure and mirror components.

“Constructing this 39-meter mega telescope is only possible by building on ESO’s long history in pioneering astronomy and engineering, and in bringing countries together to work on ambitious projects. Far from an isolated project, the ELT will become an integral part of the large family of telescopes at ESO’s observatories in Chile,” a spokesperson for ESO said, adding that the telescope will bring “almost inconceivable capabilities in imaging and collecting data from our universe.”


Port of Loading

Once this vital equipment was safely in place, the next task was to collect and load the outsized pieces and transport them to the port of embarkation, Porto di Monfalcone in the north of the Adriatic Sea.

This required a short journey by road from Cimolai’s fabrication facilities in the industrial zone of Monfalcone to the nearby harbor, where vessels chartered from shipping line Intermarine were scheduled to collect the cargoes.

“One of the biggest challenges was lifting the packages without damaging them, we are talking about exceptional items, in terms of size and weight,” explains Gianluca Perino, operations manager at Midsea, the terminal operator at Monfalcone. “Only polyester slings were used for the lifting equipment in order to not damage the paint or scratch the surface. In some cases the hooking on was done through the use of a cherry picker because it was not possible to walk on it.”

The northernmost seaport in the Adriatic, Monfalcone offers robust facilities specifically designed for breakbulk handling, including various mobile cranes up to 110 tons with a twin lift capacity of 200 tons and a large fleet of front-end loaders, excavators, bulk grabs, hoppers and forklift trucks. It also operates onsite customs facilities to expedite clearance and compliance with ISPS Code.

“Since the frames were very uneven, in order to lift them perfectly straight, it was necessary to use chains with shorteners before the polyester sling. In this way, we were able to fit customized lifting for each item, the length of the lifting equipment was sized according to the shape and geometry of the lifting points,” Perino adds.

An important aspect was the incorporation of restraint accessories to mitigate the risk of falls from heights. Given the impracticality of using lifelines and the need for workers to traverse the holds at heights of up to four meters above the packages, the teams opted to attach devices with retractable wire ropes to the crane hook. These were then secured to the stevedores’ seat belts, ensuring their safety at all times.

Upon arrival, the main structures were set to load in three separate shipments, with more than two kilotonnes in total. As such, the project required significant planning and a long timeframe to ensure that all schedules would align.

“Given the high sensitivity of the cargo, every detail was meticulously studied and planned, with careful consideration for each individual item being loaded and transported,” Bianchi explains. “Stowage plans and cargo lashing in particular had been worked out in great depth to ensure that everything was loaded without a hitch.”

With this planning in place, the first components for the ELT were loaded in mid-2023, beginning the journey of more than 13,000 kilometers to the port of discharge, Antofagasta Terminal in northern Chile.

“With three shipments totaling 2,084 tonnes and more than 17,000 cubic meters, this logistics operation underscores the scale and complexity of erecting the largest telescope on land,” a spokesperson for Intermarine said. “The first shipment was successfully carried out by the MV DZ Yantai in the summer of 2023, and the second shipment was expertly handled by the MV Swift in early 2024. The third shipment was transported by the RMS Fraternity in summer 2024.”

Strategically located to serve Chile’s mining industry, Antofagasta multipurpose terminal is equipped with four mobile harbor cranes and features a berth length of 445 meters and a depth of 12.2 meters.


Formidable Terrain

After the cargo was discharged at the port, DCS Liburnus arranged for a dedicated storage area to temporarily house the components while waiting for transport approval. This storage facility allowed the team to organize the convoy movements efficiently, ensuring that each load was ready for transport as soon as the necessary permits were secured.

Given the size and complexity of the cargo, this step was crucial for minimizing delays and ensuring that the components could be transported in compliance with the strict regulations in place. From the storage area, each piece was carefully transferred to a specialized transport vehicle.

“The main challenge faced by the dockworkers at ATI terminal was the size and, most importantly, the extreme delicacy of each unloaded piece. For this reason, it was decided to carry out the unloading using a high-tonnage Gottwald-GHMK 8410 mobile crane, in a direct discharge-to-truck mode to avoid overhandling these structures,” Patricio Marín, head of ship operations at ATI, said.

“Additionally, coordinating the departure of the loaded trucks from the port and their transit through the city posed another significant challenge, as most of the trucks were transporting oversized structures, which required escort services for safe movement.”

To ensure optimal views of the night sky, the ELT is situated deep within the Sierra Vicuña Mackenna range, approximately 130 kilometers southeast of Antofagasta. While the remote site offers unique visibility of the night sky, it also presents a formidable challenge for transportation. Following steep, rugged roads, the route passes through one of the world’s most inhospitable climates, with rough, deteriorating conditions along many stretches.

“The geographical location of the receiving site presented one of the toughest challenges,” said Bianchi. “Navigating steep roads through the Atacama Desert to reach the construction site, located 3,000 meters above sea level, required intricate planning and precision at every stage.”

DCS Liburnus partnered with local freight specialist TIEX to complete the road transport from the port to the construction site. TIEX, headquartered in Santiago de Chile, was pivotal in ensuring the successful delivery of these oversized components, drawing on a fleet of over 400 pieces of equipment, 160 modular lines and a team of 280 dedicated workers.

Transporting this sensitive cargo required close coordination with police escorts, a spokesperson from TIEX explained, adding that there were “very limited time windows” to execute the transports, making precision critical at every stage.

The route from the ATI Port to the ELT construction site began along coastal highways before veering into the steep and rugged roads of the Sierra Vicuña Mackenna range. As a result, the convoy’s progress was slow and deliberate, often necessitating adjustments to road conditions along the way.

Teams had to reinforce certain sections of the road, clearing debris and stabilizing slopes to allow the transport vehicles to safely navigate the terrain. The harsh desert environment, known for its strong winds, intense heat, and lack of infrastructure, added further complexity to the journey.

Despite these obstacles, the convoy successfully delivered each oversized component to the ELT construction site, where they were carefully offloaded and prepared for assembly.

Following the successful delivery of the oversized structures, teams are now focused on the installation of the main mirror segments, an intricate and time-consuming process. Engineers and technicians will work closely together to ensure that each mirror segment aligns perfectly - even the slightest misalignment could impact the telescope’s performance - before beginning extensive testing procedures to validate the functionality and accuracy of the entire system.

Looking ahead, the ELT is set to achieve its first light in 2028, a milestone that signifies the beginning of its scientific operations and a first step in understanding fundamental questions about the universe - from the formation of galaxies to the existence of exoplanets and the nature of dark matter.


DCS Liburnus, The Heavy Lift Group and Intermarine are exhibitors at Breakbulk Europe.

TOP PHOTO: Alessio Bianchi, CEO of DCS Liburnus, at the ELT site in Chile. CREDIT: DCS Liburnus
SECOND: Construction of the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) project. CREDIT: DCS Liburnus
THIRD: Loading a structure destined for Chile. CREDIT: DCS Liburnus