UK-based Osprey Group has transported two polar crane beams for the Hinkley Point C (HPC) nuclear power station in the UK.
The polar crane main beams measure up to 44.7 m long, with the larger of the two weighing 138 tonnes.
For the move, the first beam – beam A – was transported on 10 axle lines of SPMTs then loaded and secured on Osprey’s barge Isobel Rose at Avonmouth. It was then floated down the Bristol Channel onto the River Parrett where it was discharged at EDF’s marine facility at Combwich Wharf.
Osprey said it was crucial to monitor tidal conditions in the Bristol Channel as well as the river conditions along the route in order to unload the beam safely.
It also considered access into EDF’s marine facility at Combwich Wharf, including planning constraints for barge arrivals and considerations towards local residents.
After that, the unit was transported 5.2 miles (8.4 km) by road on the SPMTs and unloaded onto storage supports ready for installation.
The beams will play a crucial role in the installation of the reactor pressure vessel and other components of the nuclear steam supply system.
