Today, ZVU POTEZ Hradec Králové sent the second part of a giant column for the production of nitric acid on its way to Australia. The contract is worth over CZK 100 million. The cylinder-shaped device, which is 60 meters long, 4.5 meters wide, and weighs 289 tons, is expected to be launched next year.

(Image: Silhouettes of two cranes against the backdrop of the sunset over the sea. Source: iStockphoto LP, photo ©)

The first half of the 30-meter-long column from the Hradec Králové engineering works left for the port of Mělník in mid-October. Once the second half arrives, ZVU POTEZ workers will join and assemble both parts at the company's Mělník facility. "The column will also undergo a pressure test. The transfer of the entire colossus onto a ship is planned for early 2013 and will be a very demanding operation in itself," said Kováč. From Mělník, the column will sail to Hamburg and, after being transferred to an ocean-going ship, on to Australia.

Production of the column began at the start of this year. "What makes it unique is that it will be shipped to Australia in one piece and will be assembled in an Australian chemical plant," said Kováč. According to him, only a few manufacturers in the world are capable of installing and transporting such a large piece of equipment. The company believes that the Australian contract will serve as a reference for winning further orders.

The company will use special chassis to transport the convoy to the port in Mělník. The transport will also require the dismantling of the toll gate on the D11 motorway, which is too low for the load to pass under, said Libor Kusak from the transport company Godtrans, explaining the complexity of the transport.

ZVU POTEZ manufactures equipment for the food, chemical, and energy industries. The company has approximately 500 employees and expects revenues of around CZK 650 million this year. The company continues a tradition of chemical and food engineering in Hradec Králové that dates back more than 140 years.