Mount Maunganui Tanks

Infrastructure investment enabling sea transport for giant tanks

Culham Engineering has established a longstanding partnership with Stolthaven Terminals, a prominent provider in bulk liquid and gas storage at the Port of Tauranga.

Stolthaven engaged Culham to construct two sizeable new tanks, each encompassing 25 metres in diameter and 20 metres in height, designated to store low sulphur fuel oil within their tank farm. These tanks, weighing approximately 300 tonnes, represent a substantial undertaking in scale and investment.

Our selection as the contractor stemmed from Stolthaven’s confidence in us to deliver a product characterised by exceptional quality and an innovative construction approach that would substantially compress the project timeline. A strategic decision was made to fabricate the tanks onsite in Whangārei, followed by transportation via barge to the Port of Tauranga. This approach significantly reduced the project’s construction duration, amounting to 16-18 months.

The decision to construct the tanks at our facility also provided greater control over the work environment. This allowed the Stolthaven team to concurrently undertake all necessary groundwork while the tanks were in production at Culham. Consequently, as soon as the tanks and groundwork were completed, the tanks could be seamlessly transported by sea to their intended location. The entire process required meticulous planning and precision execution, synchronised with tides. It involved elevating each tank, positioning the trailer underneath, and transferring it onto the barge. The tanks were securely fastened and embarked on their three-day voyage to Tauranga, arriving at their destination in a condition identical to when they departed from Whangārei.

We made substantial upgrades to our on-site infrastructure to facilitate the movement of these immense tanks within our site. This included a comprehensive redesign of the roadways to accommodate loads well in excess of 300 tonnes. Additionally the wharf was extended to enable some of New Zealand’s largest cranes to reach the very edge of the wharf safely for efficient barge loading.

Our substantial investments in site infrastructure and equipment have granted us enhanced flexibility in the fabrication process and bolstered our capacity to transport products by sea to many ports around New Zealand, Australia and the world.