Mammoet moves transformers across USA

International heavy lifting and transportation specialist Mammoet completed a job in the USA that involved transporting seven transformers, weighing 80 US tons (73 tonnes) each, from the factory where they were made to their end destination, more than 2,300 miles (3,700 km) away.

The transformers were transported from St. Louis to the Ross Powerhouse in Whatcom County, Washington. The main challenge, Mammoet said, was that the Ross Powerhouse, located on the Skagit River, is not accessible by road. This meant that the final phase of the transportation had to be done by barge. The project was completed in two phases with the first taking place in 2016 and the second in 2017.

The transformers were loaded onto a rail car via a jack and slide system and transported 2,200 miles (3,564 km) to Burlington, Washington. Here they were trans-loaded to trailers for the final 55 miles (89 km) of highway travel.

Due to the length and weight of the loads a temporary road was built to accommodate the use of self propelled modular transporter (SPMT) to carry the transformers to a barge for the final two miles of their journey.

The final transformers were put into place on their foundations in mid-August 2017. Mammoet says it completed the project without incident and on time.