UK heavy transport and rigging specialist Collett & Sons has completed the delivery of a 234 tonne stator from Heysham Port to the Gretna Grid Stability Facility in Scotland.
The stator is 9.1 metres long, 4.2 metres wide and 3.9 metres high, was initially loaded onto a 12 row modular flattop trailer at the port. The company then built its 24 axle 350 tonne capacity Scheuerle girder bridge trailer around the unit for the main transport run.
The 92 mile journey began with an escort from Lancashire police, switching to Cumbria police halfway through the route. The team executed several complex manoeuvres, including temporarily stopping motorway traffic to contraflow a slip road, in order to avoid a weak bridge structure.
At Longtown, 88 miles into the journey, the stator was transferred to a 16 axle Self-Propelled Modular Trailer (SPMT) for the final four mile journey to site. The SPMT completed this last leg of the journey at a walking pace, with the team reconfiguring the SPMT to 11 axles to navigate the limited space and complete a 90 degree turn for final positioning.
The stator being transferred to the SPMT for the final part of the journey
The stator forms part of the site's 60 Mega Volt Amperes (MVA’s) synchronous condenser system, designed to enhance grid stability by providing short circuit and inertia power, supporting distribution networks with high renewable energy input.
Collett is based in Halifax, England, with yards in Elland, Bradford, Goole and Grangemouth in Scotland, as well as an office in Dublin, Ireland. It can trace its roots back to 1928 when Richard Collett began by transporting his and other farmers milk to the dairy by horse and cart near Keighley. In 1933 he purchased his first wagon and by the 70’s the company had moved into general haulage and heavy transportation. More recently it has added the supply of craneage, along with heavy lift, contract lifts and rigging services to its portfolio.
Comments