Bluff Tank Replacement

Culham Engineering have been partners in every major Ballance engineering project since the plant was built forty years.

Culham Engineering was engaged by Ballance Agri-Nutrients to fabricate and deliver a 400-tonne, 36-metre diameter acid storage tank for its Bluff manufacturing facility to be built offsite at our Whangarei facility.
This unprecedented undertaking required advanced engineering coordination, including the design and fabrication of a bespoke hydraulic transporter track system to enable controlled movement of the tank from the fabrication shed to the load-out point. This solution facilitated the largest offsite tank fabrication in New Zealand at the time.
For marine transport to Bluff, Culham engaged SeaTow, the only operator in New Zealand with a barge capable of accommodating the tank’s dimensions and weight. The tank was walked onto the barge in a precise orientation, as post-load rotation was not feasible.
Upon arrival in Bluff, the same custom track system was redeployed to offload and walk the tank 800m to its final installation site. This approach ensured continuity of handling and eliminated the need for reconfiguration or third-party lifting solutions.
The project demanded tight dimensional tolerances, robust structural integrity, and logistical precision across all phases, from fabrication and transport to site delivery. The Culham integrated delivery model encompassed in-house design, fabrication, transport engineering, and site coordination. The project set a new benchmark for large-scale offsite fabrication and transport logistics in New Zealand’s industrial sector.