Heavy gas turbine part transported

UK transport and heavy lift company Collett has transported a 100 tonne gas turbine rotor from Doncaster Sheffield Airport to Saltend Power Station in Hull.

The rotor arrived on board one of the world’s largest cargo aircraft, the Antonov 124 (with a carrying capacity of 150 tonnes), which needed all of the airport’s 3,000 metre runway – one of the longest and widest in the UK.

Once the aircraft landed Collett’s Heavy Transport and Heavy Lift Teams went to work. 

Collett’s Heavy Lift Engineers utilised a 500-tonne Leibherr LTM 1500-8.1 mobile crane to unload the turbine rotor, which had an integrated transport frame, out of the nose of the fuselage onto its awaiting ten-axle flat-top trailer ready for onward transport.

Prior to delivery Collett’s Projects Department was tasked with safely planning a viable route. The first three routes investigated proved unsuitable as the turbine would have exceeded various bridge weight limitations.

To overcome these limitations, the Collett mapped an alternative route. It liaised with the necessary councils ahead of the project, and ensured any route modifications and necessary street furniture removals had been undertaken to allow the 4.5 metre wide cargo to safely navigate the route from collection in Doncaster to final delivery in Hull.

Travelling under abnormal load permits, and escorted by Collett’s Code of Practice pilot cars, the 19-metre-long loaded vehicle travelled via Hatfield, Goole, Howden and North Ferriby, before safely arriving at Saltend Power Station on the banks of the River Humber, ready for offloading by the client.