When MND Drilling & Services, the largest drilling contractor in the Czech Republic, contacted Gerlach for customs clearance on their latest project, it wasn’t about a big machine transported cross-border. It was giant! The challenge our Gerlach Czech accepted was a drilling rig Bentec-450 (450 tonne, 55-meter-high) which needed to be transported disassembled on 96 trucks from the Czech Republic to Cornwall, UK.
MND D&S supplied the technology to drill a 4.5 km deep well to generate heat for the Eden site. Cold water is injected downwards, the water absorbs heat from the rock and is then pumped back up to the surface at around 180°C. The water is then used to generate electricity and the heat is provided for the rainforest and Mediterranean biomes, as well as for the offices, kitchens and greenhouses. The complete geothermal power project is scheduled for completion by 2023.
As the UK is not part of the European Customs Union anymore, so-called third country customs formalities were required. Gerlach Czech supported this project on export from Czech declaration side, and will also help on customs formalities in later stages when the drilling rig gets returned and an import declaration for Czechia is needed.
Our Gerlach Czech team, being a leader in customs clearance in the Czech market has already done many complex topics, but this was truly an exciting one: 96 trucks were needed to transport the drilling rig from Czechia to UK.
„We standardly clear large disassembled units for our customers, but the drilling rig for the first time. The trucks have been departing individually or in a small groups already from April on. Each truck had a separate customs declaration“, says Luděk Procházka, Managing Director of Gerlach Czech Republic.
“For those kind of complex customs related topics intensive preparation is essential. We have carefully examined the facts and applied for the necessary permissions from customs authorities in the Czech Republic”, says Luděk Procházka.
“We are very proud to be able to help our customers and to be part of such project. It is quite complex, but also great to be an enabler for customer projects, that work towards a better and sustainable future”, says Taťána Procházková, Head of Marketing and Sales at Gerlach Czech.
In case you need any customs related support in Czech Republic, our team is happy to help you. Contact us now.