Conventional power

Introduction

With major power plant components often manufactured off-site for transportation and installation, a heavy lifting and haulage expert like Mammoet becomes a crucial partner.

Though we are in an era when climate change is affecting social and political attitudes towards fossil fuel power generation, the fact is that most of the world’s energy still relies on the burning of coal, diesel and natural gas. However, new conventional power plants are now designed to be more efficient, using technologies that help make fossil fuel energy cleaner and more sustainable. In addition, advanced construction techniques mean that many key power plant elements are fabricated off-site and transported to the construction site – including filters that reduce emissions.

Your heavy lifting partner

Large and heavy objects like turbines, generators and transformers are key elements in the construction of new conventional power plants. Equally, these and other large elements are routinely removed and replaced during power plant renewal and maintenance work. With Mammoet’s extensive expertise in the energy industry, we are ideally positioned to plan and execute the lifting and transport of big and heavy components. Our experience covers everything from greenfield construction to decommissioning.

Meeting schedules

The timely arrival and installation of these elements is essential to staying on schedule, as other construction and installation activities depend on them. Because one project often has multiple contractors with their own teams on-site, early planning and close coordination of different maintenance activities optimizes the schedule. Both during construction and power plant upgrade projects, the early planning, solid logistics and heavy lifting and transport equipment Mammoet offers can have a significant impact on schedules, reducing total downtime, enhancing site safety and optimizing efficiency.

Experience, expertise and equipment

Over the years, Mammoet has worked on numerous power plants, with a variety of layouts, locations and circumstances. We have built up our expertise in power plant construction, maintenance and decommissioning. Mammoet will bring a broad pool of talented engineers to your project, ensuring a highly efficient logistical process. Our large and diverse fleet of equipment – in addition to our operational expertise – enables us to safely execute jobs that are often complex and always time-critical.

Safer and more efficient

Site safety is of paramount importance to Mammoet professionals. We combine a can-do attitude to getting the job done with a stringent regard for safety, health, the environment and quality (SHEQ) on every power plant project. In many situations our safety standards not only meet but exceed local requirements. Our ability to take a project-wide view and provide heavy lifting expertise from planning right through to production means that we can help you find many efficiencies, reducing downtime. This includes optimal utilization of heavy lifting equipment throughout construction and reduction of on-site congestion. This again improves efficiency and will make the construction site a safer environment.

Planning & design

Power plant planning for success

Early involvement of engineered heavy lifting and transport specialists can strongly influence the design and manufacture of components, smooth transport and on-site scheduling to maximize power plant uptime.

In the competitive landscape of the power industry, project owners need to get their facilities up and running as quickly and efficiently as possible. Partnering with Mammoet will prove to be a wise and cost-effective decision if it is undertaken early in the planning and design stage. It is during this phase that our engineers and innovators are more likely to find and seize opportunities to shorten the critical path, increasing the efficiency of the overall project and minimizing risks.

For many projects, the location, logistics and installation sequence of the large and heavy components can have a strong influence on cost benefits as well as on the critical path. The key is in finding the optimum balance between transportability – how to lift, transport and install these items; construction method – the size and weight limits of components, and productivity – the optimization of all heavy lifting and transport activities and resources on-site.

Transportability

Location is one of the prime limiting factors on the heavy lifting and transport required by conventional power plant components. The factory-to-foundation transportation of components such as turbines, generators or HRSG modules requires an integrated chain of logistical activities.

Mammoet’s extensive global network of shipping contacts provides true peace of mind for our customers. We are excellently placed to design the most efficient route for each component, wherever it is manufactured, taking into account infrastructural bottlenecks or complicated border and port authority procedures, while remaining in full compliance with local rules and regulations.

We then coordinate the logistics for each component to ensure that they arrive on time and in the correct order for installation.

Construction

Optimizing construction efficiency depends on which building method is used and can range from stick-building on location to preassembling components or modules off site.

There are advantages to transporting and installing large and heavy items fully preassembled. Fabricating off site makes it possible to construct and test the parts in a controlled environment, helping improve safety, productivity, quality control and a higher degree of certainty over the costs and schedule, while minimizing disruption on-site.

Making these efficiency gains requires careful assessment by experienced engineers and planners at an early stage to be sure of the maximum allowable size and weight of the components and modules that need to be transported and installed.

Productivity

We believe that deeper analysis of the construction schedules can reveal further optimization of horizontal and vertical moves on-site by defining the right amount and type of equipment and resources needed. For example, in some cases careful timetabling of lifts may enable one larger crane to replace several smaller cranes. Having fewer pieces of equipment on-site improves safety, reduces congestion and minimizes mobilization and demobilization activities.

Preparing for success

To obtain the optimum relationship between transportability, constructability and productivity we advise early collaboration between your project managers and construction engineers and our engineered heavy lifting and transport specialists.

In our long experience, having one partner in charge of all engineered heavy lifting and transport requirements provides greater potential for bringing uptime forward and increasing cost-effectiveness, at the same time as minimizing risks. Our specialists are skilled in identifying potential hotspots in the chain of transport and installation activities early on and finding creative engineering solutions to get round them.

By consulting our engineers early, at the FEED stage of a project, we can help move deadlines forward, make planning more reliable, reduce costs and ensure an overall smooth, safe and on-time execution.

Case A secluded beach provides a timesaving solution

Case Smart logistics unlock a time-saving route

Expert insight: Gavin Kerr

Investing in expertise to save time

At Mammoet we challenge our clients to look beyond the core design of their power generating facility in order to increase efficiency and cost-effectiveness of the project. For example, when considering a combined cycle fossil fuel power plant, the size of the generators, turbines and HRSG modules is generally determined based on the required output of the plant.

Our approach is to look at the project from an integrated perspective. Our experienced engineers sit down with our clients in the early project stages to help analyze the design of their plant and its individual components in relation to the transportation and construction approach.

There are five project elements to consider: plant design, procurement, logistics, civil works and construction. All five elements are interdependent and bound together by engineered heavy lifting and transport. They can have a significant impact on one another and affect the critical path.

A generator, for example, may be purchased at a significantly lower price than the nearest competitor, but what if that manufacturer is serviced by neither rail nor water? This might require an infrastructure upgrade, possibly resulting in delayed delivery of the generator to site. Ultimately, it will impact the construction schedule, installation sequence and laydown area to manage late deliveries — and thus the original cost benefit is neutralized.

Our expertise allows us to comprehend interdependencies and map them against the critical path. Route surveys deal with issues such as port accessibility and suitability to handle heavy cargo, handover points, physical restrictions and local rules and regulations. This enables us to identify opportunities to optimize the logistics chain and advise at the design stage to ensure all components and modules are best suited for transport and installation activities.

Investing our time together with the client at the planning and design stage can be considered as a type of insurance against risks and delays that could otherwise impact uptime of the power generating facility.

Manager, Sales and Tendering for Mammoet Canada West, Gavin Kerr first joined the company as Engineering Team Lead in 2011. Here he explains the benefits of having all stakeholders in the critical path represented during the early stages of the project.

Logistics

Moving towards construction efficiency

A detailed and expertly executed logistics plan for transporting oversized and heavy parts is integral to the safe and efficient construction process of any type of fossil fuel power plant.

Meeting the ever-growing global demand for energy by increasing efficiency and productivity is an ongoing quest for power suppliers. Larger and improved facilities are continually being constructed to meet those demands. The opportunities to improve efficiency through increased scale depend on the type of power plant and its location. Many fossil fuel power plants may be scaled up by using larger numbers of components and modules, while the improvements in efficiency often come from increasing the capacity of individual parts. This often means these components will be bigger and heavier.

Whatever the type of fossil fuel power plant, it will present its own set of logistical challenges, both in complexity and in pushing logistical boundaries. Oversized and heavy items such as steam generators and turbines need to be transported from their manufacturing facilities, which could be located in Australasia, Europe and the United States, for example.

The logistical boundaries are defined by how safely we can transport these components to site over roads, waterways and railways. In certain cases, the most efficient, cost-effective and safest method of transport to site can only be determined after looking at all the options.

At Mammoet, we know that arriving at the smartest plan requires our heavy lifting and transport innovation, skills, expertise and specialized equipment, and we consider these factors in all our logistics planning.

Unblocking bottlenecks

We use route studies to help us identify infrastructure limitations that lie between the manufacturing facilities and the fossil fuel power plant site: tunnels may be too low, bridges too weak, roads too narrow or ports not suitable for receiving oversized and heavy items. Some areas may also have specific risks for such heavy loads, such as when attempting to cross dense urban or remote environments.

Mammoet’s logistics experts use creative engineering to develop transport solutions that help avoid or mitigate logistical bottlenecks and any associated risks, either by bypassing them or by finding the right engineered solutions. For example, we might optimize the use of equipment to distribute loads when crossing weak structures or use route interventions such as road and bridge reinforcements, widening roads or constructing temporary bridges and jetties.

Delivering such engineering ingenuity requires expertise and an extensive fleet of equipment and vehicles at our disposal. The end result is an optimal logistical chain for all individual oversized and heavy items that aligns with the conventional power plant’s overall project schedule.

Factory-to-foundation service

It is often the case in power plant construction that different stages in the chain of land and water-based transport are handled by different operators, deploying separate transport plans, equipment and workforces. This type of separation in the logistical chain makes interface management for oversized and heavy items more challenging than it needs to be.

By choosing Mammoet as your end-to-end heavy lifting and transport partner, you opt for a joined-up approach for the total sequence of logistical activities. We make it possible to minimize risks and maximize logistical efficiency, avoiding delays and potential additional costs, such as demurrage charges.

A factory-to-foundation (FtF) service brings the advantage of working with just one experienced engineered heavy lifting and transport specialist to oversee the entire chain of logistical activities for oversized and heavy items. The logistical process starts by picking up the components for a fossil fuel power facility at their manufacturing sites and ends with installation on site.

Having fewer handover points helps reduce risks, avoid delays and increase efficiency of the transport over roads, waterways and railways — including the smooth processing of required documentation for cross-border transports and obtaining permits.

Mammoet’s FtF service ultimately delivers a tailor-made and optimized logistics chain. It minimizes the number of handover points and ensures smooth handling between different modes of transport. This reduces or eliminates demurrage charges – ensuring all components and modules arrive on time and in the right order for on-site installation.

Case Ruling out delays by ruling out surprises

Case Boosting Egypt's energy in double-quick time

Expert Insight: Nobuaki Izumi

Smooth logistics for safe and timely installation

As conventional power facilities increase in capacity, their main components often become larger and heavier to cope with demand. While fossil fuel power companies routinely focus their project planning on construction, how these oversized and heavy items reach the site is crucial to the project’s timely delivery.

Parts such as generators, turbines and transformers pose unique and complex logistical challenges, depending on where they are manufactured and the route for transportation. This is particularly an issue in built-up areas where disruption needs to be minimized, or in regions where roads, railways and waterways are not well-suited to accommodating large and heavy loads.

Mammoet has been involved in the logistics of oversized and heavy items for 210 years. This means we have the depth of experience to effectively deal with all the challenges presented in the transport of fossil fuel power plant components from their fabrication point to their installation point – from factory-to-foundation.

We own the largest and most state-of-the-art fleet of specialized heavy lifting and transport equipment for on-land activities. Mammoet has its own chartering offices and network with access to the relevant permitting offices and the most modern and diverse fleet of ships and barges for transport on water. Globally, our diversified team of engineers and operational crews also support the marine engineering required for efficient transports and handovers.

Along with our experience, we’ve built up a storehouse of ideas and approaches enabling us to innovate with each new logistical challenge in the power sector. Our global presence means we can combine our unique solutions with an intimate knowledge of local rules and regulations. This type of deep background knowledge contributes to an optimal logistical chain, and gives power suppliers the assurance they need that all components and modules will be installed at the power plant construction site safely and on time.

Nobuaki Izumi is Commercial Manager for Mammoet Asia Pacific Region. He joined Mammoet in 2013 and has over 15 years’ experience in factory-to-foundation logistics for the power sector.

Construction

Building better fossil fuel power plants

Efficient power plant construction relies on heavy lifting expertise to move the oversize and heavy components from their point of fabrication to the construction site.

Constructing a new power plant is a complex business. The project’s critical path will depend on the plant’s scale, whether it operates using coal-fired boilers, gas turbines or diesel engines, and on auxiliary systems such as heat recovery steam generators (HRSG) or steam turbines when using combined cycle technology. These factors determine the number and kind of large and heavy components that need to be transported and installed, components that are essential in getting any power plant into production as quickly and safely as possible.

By working with Mammoet’s engineered heavy lifting and transport experts at an early stage of your project we can help identify the specific installation requirements of each part – whether boiler, generator, steam turbine or transformer – and realize efficiency gains.

Our expertise, engineering capacity and up-to-date equipment, allied with our global network of offices and trusted shipping and port authority contacts, means we can design a flawless transportation schedule and the on-time installation of those components that will satisfy even the shortest of timescales.

Managing the unexpected

Even with the greatest planning, unforeseen events still have the potential to disrupt project progression. The delay of one of the outsize and heavy components, for example, can compromise the overall installation sequence and negatively impact the project schedule and budget.

Our experienced engineered heavy lifting and transport specialists can help protect your project’s critical path and find effective ways to deal with an unexpected change. At a recent power plant in Canada, for example, the phased installation of each large component came under serious threat when the engineering team discovered that roof trusses had been put in place that created an unexpected restriction for the installation work. Removal would have cost the project time and money. Instead, our engineers swiftly reviewed the original installation procedure and, working against the clock, were able to modify the set-up to ensure enough height clearance for both the large component and the heavy lifting gear.

Mammoet’s broad overview of the entire project schedule and our streamlined working practices make executing such on-the-spot solutions a calm, efficient experience for our clients. Our ability to draw from a large pool of skilled people and specialized equipment further enhances our flexibility while maintaining the maximized use of resources on site.

Streamlining working practices on site

In a number of cases, particularly for co-generation power plants that provide heat and power to an industrial site, there may be multiple contractors on-site working according to their own scope and schedule. This can often include different pools of manpower and equipment for heavy lifting and transport jobs across the site, including the power station and industrial facilities.

The subdivision of resources and schedules is a less than optimal way of moving oversize and heavy parts across site. By choosing to work with one heavy lifting and transport company, such as Mammoet, having just one point of contact supports streamlined communication, while one pool of equipment enables optimized installation schedules and best use of machinery. This integrated approach on-site is proven to maximize construction efficiency, safety and cost-effectiveness.

Case Boosting Egypt's energy in double-quick time

Case Moving a power plant across the continent in just six months

Expert insight: Pierre Mille

Integrating work streams to increase efficiency

Modern fossil fuel power plants are designed to meet high standards. Construction methods are continually refined and projects are planned for optimal efficiency. However, building them is not always straightforward. The biggest risks to the schedule are generally posed when different contractors and subcontractors are responsible for transporting the large and heavy components from factory to foundation.

This kind of decentralized logistical chain requires intensive project management by you, the client. You need to ensure all deliveries over road, rail and waterways align with the construction sequence as the delay of one single item can negatively impact the entire operation’s costs and schedule.

Here at Mammoet we have the expertise, global presence and broad fleet of equipment to carry out a full factory-to-foundation (FtF) scope for our customers. By controlling the entire chain of transportation and installation of the outsize and heavy components, we can more effectively streamline the entire process and take on the responsibility of minimizing or mitigating risks.

With a diverse fleet of equipment at our fingertips, we offer a range of options from which to choose with great precision the best equipment for installing different kinds of large and heavy components. For example, our tailor-made gantry systems enable us to set steam turbines and generators at any elevation or within space-restricted areas in combined cycle power plants. On the other hand, the capacity and long reach of our PTC ring cranes enable us to carry out the setting of very high chimneys for coal-fired power plants.

Whatever type of power plant you are looking to construct, spending time on carefully developing a plan in the earliest stages of your project, which is then flawlessly executed, will ensure the construction is delivered safely and on time.

Pierre Mille, Sales Director for Mammoet USA, started with Mammoet in 2008. His working experience in different engineering and sales positions brings a unique perspective on increasing efficiency and cost-effectiveness across all stages of a project.

Maintenance

Uptime insurance

Minimizing maintenance downtime with a fast, safe and cost-effective operation requires engineered heavy lifting and transport expertise alongside intimate knowledge of fossil fuel power facilities.

A fossil fuel power plant’s components are generally replaced during a scheduled turnaround when they reach the end of their lifecycles. Involving Mammoet’s heavy lifting and transport specialists early in the planned maintenance process enables us to develop the optimal route for these large and heavy items and find ways of shortening the critical path. Ideally, they are removed in one piece or as complete modules, thus increasing the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of the maintenance operation.

But what happens when a component in a fossil fuel power plant unexpectedly fails because of a mechanical or electrical fault?

Power plant operators need to take urgent action if they are to minimize downtime and its financial repercussions. Fortunately, our heavy lifting and transport engineers have the expertise, global supplier and authority contacts, permitting knowledge and a range of specialist equipment to quickly and professionally transport a suitable replacement component, wherever it may be located.

Planned maintenance insures uptime

Each type of power generating facility has been built according to the technology and design insights at the time of its construction. For scheduled maintenance, modification or expansion, certain infrastructure aspects may hinder change-out of large key components such as turbines, generators or transformers. Maneuvering heavy and awkward parts requires ingenuity and a strong engineering toolbox in order to develop tailor-made solutions to overcome any limitations in a fast, safe and efficient manner.

At Mammoet we always bear in mind that the key aim of any heavy lifting and transport job is to keep downtime to a minimum.

Being prepared for failure

A key component could experience a mechanical or electrical failure while the power generating facility is in full operation. In many cases, fossil fuel power plants have spare transformers close at hand, stored either on-site or as close as possible to the facility. By calling on Mammoet’s knowledge and experience, engineered heavy lifting and transport specialists can ensure the facility is fully prepared for such events.

This type of advance preparation could include arranging the necessary permits and developing the best possible route to site in full compliance with local regulatory requirements. As soon as the component is exchanged, a new spare component needs to be put in place to keep the electricity supply just as secure in future.

Rapid response to unexpected problems

Of course, there are some types of fossil fuel power plant components, such as turbines and generators, which may be less readily available to keep as spares. To provide effective rapid response to the failure of one of these components, Mammoet’s engineered heavy lifting and transport specialists urgently bring together a team with the right expertise and equipment to develop the optimal route to site as swiftly as possible.

Each emergency situation presents unique characteristics but what is key to dealing with such situations effectively and safely is a profound understanding of the restrictions of local infrastructure, knowledge of local rules and regulations, and good contacts with local authorities so that permissions can be quickly arranged. No matter what the emergency, all rapid responses at fossil fuel power plants are united in a common goal: restoring uptime.

Expert Insight: Tom Rutgrink

Safeguarding conventional power supply

Mammoet has performed many scheduled and many unscheduled replacements of oversized and heavy power plant components in a wide variety of circumstances around the world. That experience is crucial in developing fast, safe and cost-effective solutions for other replacement jobs – including where a rapid response is needed. Providing a rapid response to emergency situations requires a different set-up to scheduled maintenance operations.

One of the most important benefits Mammoet can provide in an emergency response scenario is the ability to support a solution with our knowledge and understanding of local infrastructure restrictions as well as the rules and regulations of a certain region.

Our global presence means we have good relationships with suppliers and the right contacts with local authorities. Our engineers around the world know the demands of specific locations, which enables us to effectively perform route preparations for emergency transport and swiftly obtain all permits. Furthermore, we have specialized equipment available locally which we can adapt to comply with local rules and regulations.

Our engineers bring a different kind of mindset to the job in hand and treat each situation as unique. Their experienced perspective can help optimize planned maintenance projects, as well as give an agile and appropriate response to emergencies, which require a rapid and efficient tailor-made solution.

They know that one simple engineering mistake when everyone is under pressure can make the situation worse. Our experienced professionals have the ability to quickly and efficiently stabilize emergency situations, recover assets and minimize any knock-on effects – all of which means the all-important energy supply can resume as soon as possible.

Having gained experience in different positions within Mammoet since 2010, Tom Rutgrink has been Director of Project Sales for Mammoet Europe since 2016.

Relocation & decommissioning

Planning for successful power plant relocation

Relocating a fossil fuel power plant is sometimes an economically preferable option to on-site decommissioning. Mammoet’s heavy lifting and transport services are crucial to a cost-effective relocation project.

As a fossil fuel power plant nears the end of its economic or technical lifecycle, its owner can choose between decommissioning, repurposing or relocating as the next step – whichever option is the most viable. This decision rests on factors such as the type of facility, its condition and location, and the fact that many older power plants simply were not designed with relocation in mind.

Each situation poses a unique challenge that requires heavy lifting and transport expertise, as well as the kind of tailor-made engineering solutions that Mammoet offers. Controlled demolition of the facility is one option, or there is the lifting, removal and transportation of large and heavy components away from the site, for re-use or recycling. Both options impact on the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of the overall operation.

For example, large and heavy parts that are suitable for re-use, or that require transporting for dismantling under special conditions in a contained environment, will involve engineered heavy lifting and transport to ensure a safe and efficient outcome. Mammoet has the depth of experience to provide clients with the right heavy lifting and transport services, whatever their decision.

Efficient construction alternative

Depending on its location, moving a power plant can be an attractive alternative to constructing from scratch at a new location. Relocation can help shorten time to market and make for a more cost-effective building process. To achieve this, reverse engineering is a vital aspect for either an entire fossil fuel power plant or its re-usable components.

Through our years of experience in the conventional energy sector globally, Mammoet has built up intimate knowledge of the processes and parts that go into each build. This storehouse of information can be a valuable asset for clients who choose a reverse engineering project. Even with this knowledge, we never approach a job as if it were one-size-fits-all.

In order to deliver a safe, efficient and cost-effective relocation process, preparation is key. Setting up this type of procedure needs experience, inside knowledge and specialist heavy lifting and haulage equipment to execute it in a manageable timescale. Our engineers carry out a detailed audit to uncover the best approach to the highly complex job of dismantling the plant — and how to most effectively lift, transport and re-install the main components, such as generators, turbines, heat exchangers and steam drums, at the new site.

We then develop the safest and most efficient supply chain route possible by considering the limitations of the old and new locations when transporting oversized and heavy items. This logistical analysis takes into account, for example, on-site possibilities for transporting these items, as well as the capacity and reach of our lifting equipment for the efficient dismantling and reconstruction of the components. Our aim is always to deliver a joined-up foundation-to-foundation solution that brings the relocated fossil fuel power plant online as rapidly and smoothly as possible.

Power distribution

Being prepared: ensuring continuous power supply

Maintaining a robust, reliable grid is crucial to businesses and communities across the globe. By working with an expert engineered heavy lifting and transport company, suppliers can reduce the risk of a disrupted supply and react to emergency outages swiftly, safely and cost-effectively.

Transformer substations are pivotal to any power distribution system as they convert voltage from power plants all the way to the end user. While the mechanical or electrical failure of a single transformer will be compensated by the substation’s backup system, a swift exchange is crucial. Any further failures of other transformers down-grid could result in substation downtime and jeopardize electricity supply, potentially resulting in economic, social or political damage.

Close and early involvement of Mammoet’s engineered heavy lifting and transport specialists is essential in making sure these large and heavy components are transported and installed swiftly and safely – while minimizing risks and securing uptime.

Being prepared

The location and accessibility of transformer substations are vital factors when considering the heavy transport requirements of a substation replacement or installation project. Since electricity distribution networks are widespread, substations can be located in diverse areas, and not always with direct access to rail- or waterways.

Mammoet’s state-of-the-art heavy lifting fleet operates globally and can rapidly be mobilized. Our team of expert engineers conduct route surveys and assess all options in order to determine the safest and most cost-effective routes, wherever they may be. Additionally, our extensive knowledge of local infrastructure restrictions, licensing requirements and regulatory contacts, means we can arrange permits at short notice.

Some clients chose to prepare in advance for emergency scenarios. By developing agreed routes, processes and service levels covering particular sections of a power distribution network it is possible to significantly reduce risks to the security of supply.

Our logistics team can conduct surveys for all substations on a network and develop the optimal logistical routes. Not only does this make excellent use of our heavy lifting and transport experience and know-how, but it means there is an agreed process in place for all parties. If an incident occurs the responsibilities and requirements are clear and can be acted on immediately. This means that our clients are fully prepared for a fast, efficient and cost-effective transformer exchange, as and when needed.

Heavy lifting without disruption

Electricity distribution networks are, by their nature, spread across vast distances and the most cost-effective solution for long-distance transmission is often provided by overhead power cables. The power pylons supporting these cables stand in many different environments, some of which can pose specific challenges during their construction.

Circumstances at these pylon locations may change and require the grid infrastructure to be moved or modified. One such project undertaken by Mammoet was in the Netherlands, where a 380-kV power pylon stood in an area designated as part of a flood zone, within the sophisticated Dutch water management system. The pylon would have to be lifted four meters to keep it above predicted high-water levels, when the zone was flooded.

Power pylons are not designed to be lifted in one piece, and certainly not while under current. Our expert heavy lifting and transport planning, design and logistics, coupled with our specialized equipment, meant we were able to engineer a safe method of raising the pylon while keeping the current on – without disrupting the power supply to millions of businesses and homes.

Case Lifting a live power pylon without disrupting supply

Case Two years of preparation for a fifteen-minute crossing

Expert insight: Lars Lamet

Uptime insurance

If an energy supplier wants to secure grid uptime they need to prepare for the downtime. The regular maintenance and timely replacement of network components is essential when so many industries and individuals rely on their energy supply.

Even with a good maintenance program, however, the day will come when a part of the network requires emergency repair or replacement. If a transformer fails, for example, it urgently needs to be replaced. In an emergency, one of our many specialists around the world is mobilized to conduct a survey and make an immediate logistics plan.

Of course, the ideal scenario for a transformer exchange is to have a detailed plan prepared beforehand. Mammoet has undertaken many transformer exchanges in a range of different circumstances and our clients fully trust our knowledge and can-do attitude. Our level of expertise means we can act quickly while developing detailed approaches to each project. This could include bypassing logistical bottlenecks along the route, or utilizing our experience in obtaining permits so that our solutions fit exactly with local rules and regulations.

We have built up detailed plans for various grid operators, who own hundreds of substations in different countries. Most of these substations are located inland, often not directly near rail- or waterways, and accessibility can be challenging. We have performed route surveys from the transformer storage points to each individual substation and prepared a detailed plan of action. For example, in close cooperation with grid operators and highway authorities, it means our team can carry out transformer transports across busy highways with minimal disruption to local traffic.

Preparation, in the form of a flawless logistics plan, saves time, minimizes risks and is much more cost-effective for both expected and unexpected substation or transformer downtime.

By partnering with Mammoet, you can benefit from our strong engineering capacity and broad range of modern equipment to design and realize the most efficient logistical sequence, all with the aim of keeping power flowing dependably on your grid.

Sales Manager for Mammoet Europe, Lars Lamet, has spent the last 15 years working for Mammoet’s commercial departments, particularly for the power market.

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