Case Studies
Bobo-Dioulasso
Pinnacle were responsible for transporting four 202 tonne engines via a chartered vessel from Rotterdam and St. Nazaire to Bobo-Dioulasso in Burkina Faso, using specially imported transport equipment. The aim of this project was to deliver an additional 72MW of power to an existing power plant, changing the lives of the people living in Burkina Faso.
Six months of planning and engineering went into this project, and we covered a grand total of 1,100km. From road and bridge surveys, the propping of bridges and building of roads, and road repairs during the transport due to heavy rain, the project was a huge challenge. Despite the odds, we installed all heavy machinery to the final position within millimetre accuracy, delivered safely, on-time, and within budget.

NASA & the James Webb Telescope
Pinnacle were responsible for delivering vital and quite literally priceless components of the James Webb Space Telescope, working closely with NASA in association with the University of Leicester’s Space Research Center (SRC) and the European Space Agency (ESA). This huge project was almost 15 years in development and involved end-to-end supervision of a very sensitive object with skilled handling in the UK and USA.
The telescope officially launched into space on the 25th of December 2021 and will be there for its maximum likely lifespan of 10 years. It is designed to allow astronomers the prospect of capturing images of the first galaxies to form after the big bang and to hunt for signs of life-supporting planets in our own galaxy.
We were required to manage the temperature-controlled air cargo container, priority airside access, roller bed systems, air cargo security exemptions, and the building of bespoke air cargo slave pallets.
“Delivery to NASA of the MIRI instrument for the James Webb Space Telescope was the highest value shipment that we have ever been responsible for in 50 years of space research and the most difficult from a logistical point of view. Pinnacle were instrumental throughout the planning, organisation, and ultimately the highly successful implementation of the delivery plan. We look forward to working with them again on any similar future projects.”
Jonathan Sykes, Senior Engineer, Leicester University Space Research Centre UK

WestAfrica1
Pinnacle were contracted to ship, transport, and install in final position four 335te engines, four 78te generators, and two 76te transformers. We also had to transport all the associated ancillary equipment from North Europe through to a new build power station in West Africa.
The project was carried out in two separate shipments per chartered geared vessels. It was a challenging project, in that all the heavy-lift installation and transport equipment had to be shipped in as there was no equipment of its type at the destination.

WestAfrica2
Pinnacle were also contracted to ship, transport, and install three 335te engines, three 76te generators, and one 74te transformer in one shipment from North Europe to another site in West Africa.
This was another challenging project. We had to ship in the heavy-lift transport and installation to handle the job – and not least was the three flights needed in order to reach the destination in person.

Euroshuttle
For over 15 years now, Pinnacle has held the contract to handle and move Euroshuttle locomotives. Initially, we were responsible for moving new locomotives to the maintenance shed at Coquelles in France. Then we began handling all the locomotives for the refurbishment program, which upgraded the power of the older locomotives.
During these past 15+ years, we have been a part of over 80 movements, all requiring specialist handling to remove/install onto the bogie sets.






