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Case N.C. Nielsen and Blue Water Shipping have been business partners for many years. The collaboration between the two companies is largely based on innovation, along with a willingness to bet big and find new solutions to challenges that initially seem impossible. The solutions don't come out of thin air but are the result of many people’s efforts and experience of what has previously been realised.

The latest addition is a reach stacker with no less than 180 tonnes lifting capacity, which was recently delivered to the port terminal in Esbjerg. Prior to this was a great deal of innovative development work. The idea was, once again, to push the boundaries of what is technically possible and create a mobile machine capable of handling the extremely heavy items at Blue Water Shipping.

The NCN 180 is a customised Konecranes reach stacker. It has a service weight of 125 tonnes and measures 16.6 metres in length, 4.9 metres in width and 5.3 metres in height. It has been reinforced, among other things, with a stronger boom, increased counterweight and bigger lifting cylinders. The machine was delivered with several attachments for the many port-related tasks and was painted in the characteristic indigo Blue Water Shipping colour.

“We receive a large number of enquiries regarding handling extremely heavy items, mainly for the offshore and wind turbine industries. This places new demands on our lifting machines and lifting equipment, which are often developed specifically for the job. Our joint development projects with N.C. Nielsen prove time and time again that we can reach our objectives with an operational solution,” says Operation Manager Christian W. Bundesen from Blue Water Shipping.

All development work experiences bumps in the road and new insights as the process moves forward. For example, technical challenges may arise along the way or there may be new legal requirements regarding the safety of the machines. For each of these challenges, there is a solution and a lesson learned that can be used in the next development project.

“We are always learning as we go along. We have learnt that our machine operators must be involved early in the process and have the opportunity to provide different input to the development work. It's essential to keep them in the loop, as ultimately, they are the ones who will be driving the machines. For us, the user angle is important and this must be reflected in the finished solution," emphasises Christian W. Bundesen.

According to Bundesen, the keyword is flexibility, and this is synonymous with the value that has come from working with N.C. Nielsen. Blue Water Shipping has a number of specially developed reach stackers, standard reach stackers, large trucks and Linde trucks, which, together with a bigger arsenal of optional equipment, make it possible to handle internal logistics in the port areas in Esbjerg.

“The technological development of heavy lifting machines is progressing rapidly. We’re pleased that N.C. Nielsen has its finger on the pulse and the courage to further develop the technology together with us. It’s fantastic that we have created a position here in Esbjerg as the world's largest base port for offshore wind activities, which would not have been possible without the powerful lifting machines,”
Christian W. Bundesen from Blue Water Shipping /

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