UK-based Allelys has delivered three 260-tonne transformers to a construction site in New Deer, Scotland on behalf of deugro.
The first transformer was delivered to the project site, where an onshore substation is being built to connect the 950 MW Moray East wind farm to the grid, during October.
Measuring nearly 12 m long, the transformers needed to be moved from the port of Peterhead to New Deer, a distance of 56 km.
Allelys opted to use its recently acquired Faktor 5.5 girder bridge trailer from Goldhofer for the project. The trailer was configured as a vessel bridge to accommodate the load.
After the exit from the port of Peterhead, the 70 m-long convoy – complete with police escort – had to tackle a short steep climb, 90-degree bends, roundabouts and bridge barriers. Company owner David Allely explained: “It proved a big advantage to be able to use the Goldhofer vessel bridge in a short configuration of ten axles at the front and ten at the rear. That [made the combination] much more manoeuvrable and above all more economical.”
Goldhofer added that thanks to the 1,600 mm vertical lifting stroke and levelling system, the Faktor 5.5 trailer could be raised to pass over bridge parapets and levelled to compensate lateral lean on the narrow winding sections of the route.
Allelys said that this was the first project for its Goldhofer Faktor 5.5 trailer. Andreas Menzel, corporate global key account manager at deugro group, added that trailer "was certainly decisive for our choice of Allelys Group for this challenging transport operation”.
