Fast-track mobilisation in the Caribbean

Mammoet has started work on the construction of a thermo-electric power plant on the South West side of the Dominican Republic. Punta Catalina is the biggest power generation project in the Caribbean.

Mammoet was contracted to supply 17 cranes, ranging from 100 to 750 tonnes, 20 pieces of auxiliary equipment (telescopic handlers, forklifts and man lifts), and a lifting and skidding system.

Careful planning made it possible for the first ocean shipment loaded with cranes and other auxiliary equipment to start heading towards the Port of Haina just two weeks after the project was awarded.

Mammoet is also executing the transport of 28 heavy lifting items from the Port of Haina to the project site. The 50 kilometre route presented challenges that needed to be addressed before transport could take place. The Mammoet project team managed all preparation work with the local authorities to get approval to do all conditioning and preparations on the route.

Among those interventions are the lifting of all overhead power cables and obstacles above the maximum transport height, reinforcement of five bridges, and the construction of a 100 metre long temporary bypass over the river Nizao – required to avoid a bridge that was not suitable to be reinforced.

The bypass has a concrete base to ensure that rising water levels just above the level of the bypass did not interfere with the transport schedule – giving the impression of the Mammoet trucks driving over the river’s water surface.

During the second half of 2015 all equipment was mobilised to site and seven out of the total of 28 heavy lifting items were transported. The transport of the remaining items as well as construction work of the project is currently ongoing and is expected to be completed in early 2018.