UK-based heavy haulier Allelys has delivered a 327.5-tonne generator to the Progress power station at Eye Airfield Industrial Estate in Suffolk, UK.
The open-cycle gas turbine (OCGT) power peaking plant is owned by Progress Power Limited (PPL), a subsidiary of power generation company Drax. The generator delivery is part of a larger scope of work, which includes the transport of two further units – a 333-tonne turbine and 227-tonne transformer – as well as the installation of all three loads onto their foundations.
The generator measured 10.7 m long, 3.5 m wide and 3.75 m high. It was received at the port of Ipswich and offloaded from the vessel using a 1,200-tonne capacity mobile crane. It was then loaded onto a 28-axle girder frame trailer ready for transport, whilst the generator and transformer were stooled off at the port in temporary storage
The route to site required extensive planning and engineering works, with route surveys, swept path analysis and third-party structural analysis completed to identify a suitable route. To overcome one particular structure along the route, Allelys designed an 8 m-long overbridging solution to spread the weight of the load and enable the transport arrangement to cross successfully.
With the generator delivered to site, Allelys will now complete the installation of the unit using a gantry and skidding system. The hydraulic gantry will lift the turbine from the transport equipment and skid it 36.5 m into its final position. The team will then repeat the transport and installation stages for both the generator and transformer in the coming weeks.
