Case Studies

Real examples of tailored logistics solutions in action

Bobo-Dioulasso

Powering Burkina Faso: four 202-tonne engines, 1,100 km, and a team that got it done safely, on time, and on budget.

Pinnacle transported four 202-tonne engines from Rotterdam and St. Nazaire to Bobo-Dioulasso using specially imported transport equipment. The goal was to deliver an additional 72 MW of power to an existing plant, making a real difference to local communities.

Six months of planning and engineering went into the 1,100 km journey. Our team surveyed routes, propped bridges, built temporary roads, and carried out on-route repairs during heavy rain. Despite the challenges, we installed all machinery with millimetre accuracy, safely, on time and within budget.

NASA & the James Webb Space Telescope

Mission-critical space tech delivered: our team worked with NASA, ESA, and the University of Leicester to get the James Webb Space Telescope safely into orbit.

Pinnacle was responsible for delivering vital components of the James Webb Space Telescope, working closely with NASA, the University of Leicester’s Space Research Centre, and the European Space Agency.

Nearly 15 years in the making, the project required end-to-end supervision of highly sensitive equipment. Our team managed temperature-controlled air cargo, priority airside access, roller-bed systems, security exemptions, and bespoke air cargo pallets.

The telescope launched on 25 December 2021 and will allow astronomers to explore the earliest galaxies and search for potentially habitable planets in our galaxy.

WestAfrica1

Heavy-lift heroes: four 335-tonne engines, multiple generators and transformers, shipped and installed safely by our expert team.

Pinnacle was contracted to transport and install four 335-tonne engines, four 78-tonne generators, two 76-tonne transformers, and all associated equipment from Northern Europe to a new West African power station.

Delivered in two shipments via chartered geared vessels, the project required shipping in all heavy-lift equipment due to a lack of local infrastructure. Through meticulous planning and on-site coordination, our team ensured all components were installed safely and accurately.

WestAfrica2

From Northern Europe to West Africa: our team moved three 335-tonne engines, generators, and a transformer, handling every complex step.

Following our work on West Africa 1, Pinnacle transported and installed three 335-tonne engines, three 76-tonne generators, and one 74-tonne transformer to another site in West Africa.

The project involved shipping in all necessary heavy-lift transport and installation equipment and managing complex logistics, including three flights to reach the site. Careful planning and teamwork ensured everything was delivered and installed with precision.

Euroshuttle

Over 15 years and 80+ locomotives: our team has delivered specialist handling, installation, and refurbishment work with precision every time.

Pinnacle has been handling Euroshuttle locomotives for over 15 years. Initially moving new locomotives to the maintenance shed at Coquelles, France, our role expanded to cover the refurbishment program, upgrading older locomotives.

Over 80 movements have been completed, each requiring specialist handling for the removal and installation onto bogie sets. Our team’s precision and consistency have made this a long-term, trusted partnership.

Delivering High‑Risk Geological Samples

Specialist transport of geological core analysis containers, managing temperature, pressure, and dangerous goods compliance across remote offshore and Arctic locations.

Pinnacle was entrusted with the specialist transport of a shipper’s proprietary geological core analysis containers, supporting offshore mobilisation projects in some of the world’s most challenging environments, including Alaska’s North Slope. The cargo comprised of sensitive gas hydrate core samples, requiring precise environmental conditions to be maintained throughout their entire journey to protect sample integrity.

Pinnacle delivered a fully managed, door‑to‑door solution, maintaining strict temperature & pressure parameters of the core chambers. All movements were executed in full compliance with IMDG Class 2 flammable gas regulations. To meet the project’s unique requirements, Pinnacle facilitated the sourcing of explosion‑proof reefer containers, retrofitted with bespoke internal transport frames to ensure safe and secure handling.

In parallel, the team managed complex documentation requirements, including split shipping paperwork and Carnets to support both temporary and permanent imports across multiple international borders. Early engagement with US and Japanese transport and port authorities ensured all regulatory approvals were in place ahead of shipping. Close coordination with shipping lines guaranteed cargo acceptance, while proactive port risk assessments protected reefer priority handling at every transfer point, ensuring no temperature deviations.

The result was a seamless multimodal logistics solution, successfully spanning Arctic operations, cross‑border movements, and trans‑Pacific routes – demonstrating Pinnacle’s expertise in delivering compliant, high‑risk, and technically demanding freight to the most remote destinations worldwide.

What our Customers say

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.

Johnathon Sykes, Senior Engineer

LEICESTER UNIVERSITY SPACE RESEARCH CENTRE

I have been working with Pinnacle for over 10 years now and have to say that their experience, professional approach and good reputation within the industry is impressive. I would have no hesitation in recommending Pinnacle for the movement of out of gauge machinery of any size or weight.

Duncan Rogers

MD PROJECTOR LIFTING SERVICE LTD

We have come to know Pinnacle as one of our most outstanding business partners as we execute our customer demonstrations in countries around the world. Pinnacle always rises to the challenge and gives us the proactive service we count on.

John Carson, Marketing Director

MED-ENG, A BRAND OF THE SAFARILAND GROUP

John Carson, Marketing Director

MED-ENG, A BRAND OF THE SAFARILAND GROUP