Giant Refinery Reactor Draws Hundreds of Onlookers at Klaipeda Port

Hundreds of residents from the Lithuanian city of Klaipėda gathered to witness the transportation of a massive reactor destined for an oil refinery. 

This development was reported by LRT.

Manufactured in Italy, the reactor, weighing around 1,500 tons, set off from the port of Klaipėda to the ORLEN Lietuva oil processing and import facility. The transportation route spans 145 kilometers to the town of Mažeikiai. The structure measures approximately 100 meters in length, 6.5 meters in width, and 10 meters in height.

This event has drawn significant attention in Klaipėda, prompting hundreds of people to gather and watch the first kilometers of the mega-load's journey.

The transport of such cargo across Lithuania is being organized by the company Mammoet Baltic. The reactor will predominantly be moved during nighttime, early morning, and late evening hours. The journey will follow a pre-planned route through areas including Klaipėda, Kretinga, Skuodas, and Mažeikiai, with an average speed of 3 kilometers per hour. The transport will feature designated rest stops along the way. Traffic restrictions are expected on the transport route.

The company "Energijos skyrstymo operatorius" (ESO) has indicated that 178 power line crossings will need to be dismantled during the transport and subsequently restored after the reactor's journey. Temporary power outages of up to 10 hours are anticipated on segments of the route where power lines obstruct the passage of the transport. According to ESO, considering the route compiled by the carrier, temporary power interruptions will affect nearly 3,000 users.

Special protective mats imported from the Netherlands were placed on the streets of the port city to safeguard infrastructure during the cargo's movement. Traffic lights were temporarily installed on certain streets, a decision approved by the Klaipėda Municipality's traffic safety committee last week.

To prepare for the reactor's transport from the port of Klaipėda to Mažeikiai, several intersections and roads were expanded, road surfaces reinforced, embankments secured, and bridges reconstructed. In the event of road damage, the organizers of the route are obligated to compensate for the losses.

Mayor of Klaipėda Arvydas Vaitkus, who observed the initial phase of the cargo's transport, noted that potential damage to the city's infrastructure could have occurred. However, he emphasized that it is premature to draw a definite conclusion.

"Responsible parties need to evaluate this. Some of the plates laid on the asphalt to cushion the load cover the road surface, so we cannot say if there is any damage, and if so, to what extent. It is possible that the cargo transport disrupted safety islands, but only after an expert assessment will we be able to determine to what degree. Municipal companies have been tasked with evaluating the situation as quickly as possible," he stated.

The large-scale reactor, intended for the modernization of the ORLEN Lietuva refinery in Mažeikiai, arrived at the port of Klaipėda and was unloaded on the premises of the Bega marine cargo company. According to Limeonas Rimkus, the company's manager, this is the largest load to have ever been in the Klaipėda port.

The modernization of the ORLEN Lietuva facility in Mažeikiai, which currently costs approximately 970 million euros, represents the largest investment project in Lithuania's history since "Orlen" took over in 2006. The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2024.